Mabinogi: Setting Sun
by reaper00140
Summary: a traveler tries to break free from his past and fulfill a promise he made so long ago. The first handful of chapters will be main character introductions and will later mix with the G1 storyline and it's own original one. Chap 19 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Everybody what's up! This is my second fan fiction so far (my first one I removed because the story was going into a different direction and got messed up so I took it down) and I hope that I can follow through with this one instead of giving up in the first few chapters.**

**Mabinogi: Destiny**

**Chapter 1 : Travel**

_Burning…_

_It was burning hot, the wooden pillars that supported the manor were set ablaze and would soon collapse around the 2 men in the small bedroom._

_On one end, a young boy, barely older than 14 stared from a barely standing doorway past the burning furniture and books at another figure, also no older than 14, who stood, with a bloody sword and the corpse of a young girl cut from the shoulder towards the waist. The 2 people stared at each other, one with a horrified look and the other with a cold expressionless scowl._

"_Why?…" was all that the boy at the door said before the flames engulfed his vision._

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"Haaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" was all the young yawned as he woke up from a very long and relaxing rest. "Wonder what brought that up?" he said out loud. He was a young 18-year-old man, with an average build, slightly pale skin, ghostly white hair, blue eyes, with a plane black shirt and blue cloth pants. He wore no armor except for some steel pads that extended from his wrist and up to the elbow and armored boots that reached up to his knees. At his side was a katana with a red sheath and a black blade hidden within. He stood up, pulling of the black robe he was using as a blanket and looked around.(yes I know that most of everything about this guy is described with the word black! Deal with it).

He was surrounded by trees, the sunlight peered through the leaves creating a beautiful mix of shadow and light on the short grass. Next to his feet was a bag filled with several traveling supplies including a map sticking out of the opening. "Perfect!" the young man said as he pulled the map from his bag. "_The next town should be just down this trail._" he thought as he trailed his finger across a road until it came to a name written across an X which read "TIR CHONAIL." As he read the name he rolled up the map, threw on his cloak, gathered his things and went down the road.

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"Name?" said a guard clad in all black leather armor with a helmet obscuring all his facial features except his mouth. "Name!?" the guard said slightly louder when he realized the man he was speaking to wasn't quite paying attention. " Huh? Oh! Sorry!" the man bowed his head and, as he came up, pulled of his hood, revealing his white hair. "My name is Sol. Sol Invictus." The young man said smiling. "and you are?" Sol asked the guard. "I'm Trefor, the captain of the guard in Tir Chonail." The man known as Trefor proudly proclaimed.

Sol looked around and closely inspected the town from the view of the hill that he and Trefor were standing on, not seeing anyone in any particular uniform or even a guard station. "Looks like the _only_ guard would be more accurate." "Urk!" Trefor settled down after hearing this and hung his head. "Uh…I mean.. um.. So, Captain of the Guard!, what's that like?" Sol said awkwardly, trying in vain to console him. "Here…" trefor said while handing a small piece of Paper to Sol. "It's a map of the village, it's free." trefor said in a melancholy tone. "Uh.. Thanks." Sol said as he hurried towards town hoping to get away from the large aura of awkwardness that he unwittingly created.

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"_Somehow I imagined a more lively place_." Sol thought as he looked around town. There weren't that many people outside and the ones that were, were a bit panicky and in a rush when he tried to talk to someone. He could've sworn one guy crapped his pants mid-conversation before he ran off. Eventually he walked down a hill and came to a very tall building. "_according to the map this should be the Inn." _Before Sol even moved a body came crashing right through the door. When he looked inside he could see 2 others staring back out probably at their friend and some huge guy with his 2 armed buddies next to him sitting in the back.

"What's the matter? You 3 were talking so big before." the large one yelled at the 2 people who, by this time were literally shaking in their boots. "HEY CUT IT OUT!" A young brown haired girl yelled while throwing a frying pan at the larger man. She had a furious look in her eye and was breathing heavily was next to her was an older man who was trying to calm her down. "What the-!?" the larger man exclaimed as he pulled his axe from it's holder on his back and raised it up. "You little-" before the man could finish his sentence, he was struck by something else in the back of the head, this time a rock. "Now who's throwing crap at me!?" the man said swinging around furiously. everyone backed away revealing Sol smiling while walking towards the man.

"And what do you think you're doing you little bastard." the man said looking down on Sol who was only a few feet away. "Just checking out a dumb gorilla and 2 chimpanzees." Sol said. The larger man snapped at this point and tried to bring his axe down on Sol only to feel an immense pain in between his thighs. The man's axe fell from his hand as he clutched his groin in pain. Sol looked and realized that one of the gous friends was missing and soon he heard a voice from behind. "You sonofa-!" before he could finish Sol jammed his still sheathed sword into the gut of the guy who tried to jump him and as the second friend tried to rush him Sol pulled out his sword hard and jammed the bottom end of the handle into the gut of the next guy as he did so. "You still wanna go?" Sol said with the larger man's throat mere centimeters away from his swords black blade. Without a word the larger man grabbed his 2 buddies and ran out of the inn. "I wanted some excitement but that was a bit much." Sol said while turning towards the 2 people behind the counter. "Now then I'd like to rent a room." Sol said smiling.

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"My name is Piaras and this young lady is my niece Nora." The innkeeper said introducing himself. "Pleased to meet you, and thanks for helping out earlier." Nora said. "Niece? Not daughter?" Sol asked. "Her parents were killed when the bandits first came here a few years ago." Piaras said with a solemn look in his eye. Nora herself look away for a brief moment. "I see… sorry to bring up bad memories." Sol said. "It's all because of them!" Nora said bitterly through gritted teeth. "Them?" Sol questioned without thinking. "Their gang! Their leader is the one who killed them! He's some kind of mage or something!" Nora yelled. "Nora calm down!" Piaras said. "I'm sorry about that, allow me to explain. Those three you chased out of here are members of a gang that has been causing trouble around here for a while now. Recently though they have been getting more bold because their leader apparently found something in Alby Dungeon that gave him strange powers. Now anybody who tries to go up into the mountain ends up dead." Piaras said. "That probably explains why Trefor is the only guard here." Sol commented. "No it's always been like that." Nora said. "Why?" Sol said. " We never really needed more than one until now." Nora responded. "That's enough talk of that for now. Why don't you both rest it's starting to get late." Piaras said referring to the setting sun in the distance. "you're probably right." Sol responded as he walked upstairs towards his room.

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"B-boss! We've got a problem!" a huge man and his cronies came running into the main hall of their hideout and eventually bursting through a small door in the very back of the room with their leader looking over various texts and scrolls. Although his features were mostly hidden, he had grey hair and yellow eyes and was in hislate 20's or early 30's. "What is it now?" a man with a dark robe with strange markings drawn on it in red turned to face his cronies. "And don't say it was because of that Nora girl again." the leader said with an exasperated tone. "Well it isn't, … not exactly, anyway." one of the shorter men said. "there's some new guy there dressed all in black with white hair and black sword with these weird markings on the blade." he continued " We have to do something!" The larger man demanded. "Deal with it yourself, I have no time for such trivial matters." the leader said half-heartedly. Upon hearing this the largest man began to grow irritated. "Uurrgh!.. Dammit boss! Ever since you found that stupid stone at the bottom of this place all you ever do is just sit here and read. If you don't do something our reputation is going to go down the drain." the man finished. The leader suddenly stopped shifting through all the papers in thought. "_ I suppose I have been inactive recently… hold on!_" The leader turned towards the three men in his room. "You said his sword had strange markings on it correct?" he asked quickly. "Uh… Y-yeah!" the man who made the earlier statement stuttered. "_Hmm… probably an enchanted weapon. That would be very useful for my research into immortality." _He thought. "You three! Bring this sword to me by any means necessary! It is vital for my plan." the leader ordered his 3 subordinates. "Uh… Y-yesir!" they all shouted in unison and rushed out. "_Soon… soon I will become a god!!" _the leader thought to himself.

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**The next day**

Sol examined his blade closely as he sat at his bed, running his finger across the side and feeling the several small cuts and crevices made by the runes that were cut into the blade itself. In his mind several images flashed before him. Memories of a large walled manor in the middle of a forest, of several men and women in armor laughing and smiling around him, of a young girl with long black hair and a white dress.

"_Luna…"_ Sol said in his mind.

"Hey!" a voice yelled from outside the door to Sol's room. Sol immediately sheathed his sword and answered "It's open." As the door opened, Nora came in with a tray of food and a cup with smoke rising from it. "My uncle said to bring this up. It's our show of thanks for helping out yesterday." Nora said placing the tray on the small table next to the bed. Sol said nothing other than a thank you and merely stared at his sword for a little while. "So how long have you been traveling?" Nora asked wanting to break the silence. "Not too long." Sol replied still with a slightly serious face. "Any place in particular you are heading to?" Nora said taking a seat next to the sole guest in the Inn. "Nope.. Just killing time. There's something I have to do but the time is not quite right." Sol said his look growing even more grim. "Um… anyway I have a few errands to run so I'll just be going." Nora said, feeling like she may have brought up something she shouldn't have. But before she could rush out Sol called after her. "Wait! Do you need any help? I've got nothing else to do right now." Sol said with his usual smile. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Nora said as they both decided to leave the inn and headed for the center of town.

"Malcolm!" Nora called from the doorway of the General shop. "N-Nora!? I didn't expect you this early." A young man stepped out from behind a pile of boxes precariously stacked next to an open closet door, he had a pale complexion, yellow hair and eyes and was wearing a sturdy leather apron. "I thought I might get an early jump on things. Besides, I have a guest who wanted me to show him around town." Nora said with a smile. "A guest?" Malcolm questioned as he saw no one else around. "Hey! Hurry Up!" Nora called out. Sol quickly came running up and apologized for lagging behind.

**Meanwhile**

"Is that him?" the leader asked through a small crystal ball that he had given his 3 subordinates. "Yeah. Should we get him now?" one of them asked. "Not just yet. Based on what you've told me, if you rushed in now you'd probably get slaughtered." the leader pointed out while wondering why he kept such incompetent people in his gang. "For now just wait and watch. I will handle the rest."

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"My God!" Sol gasped out as he was carrying a boatload of several boxes and bags. "I thought… we were supposed… to get… only a few things." Sol squeaked out as he waddled across the trail leading to the inn. "I'm sorry for making you carry everything but there is one last place I want to go." Nora said.

The graveyard was quiet and lifeless(big surprise there) and many of the tombstones were broken or were about to crumble apart. "Wow… what happened here?" Sol said. "More work of the bandits, this was usually their favorite hangout." Nora said as she knelt down in front of 2 graves. As Sol looked at the graves he saw that the names were almost unreadable. _"these must be her parents."_ He thought. Eventually Nora got up and turned to face Sol. "Sol, there's something I want to ask you." Nora said with a more serious look on her face. "No." Sol said before she could even ask. "What.?" "I said no. I won't kill the bandits for your own desire for revenge and don't say "it will benefit everyone" you know its because of what you want." Sol said with a cold look on his face. "But-!" Before Nora could finish Sol spoke again. "It's getting late, we should hurry back soon." Sol said turning away. Nora didn't say a word and followed along silently back towards the inn.

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Nora laid awake in her bed still a little put off by Sol's surprisingly cold response. "I guess It was for my own sake." she said aloud. "Maybe I should-" _Nora…_ "What the?" Nora heard a voice _Nora… _It called out again this in a more distinguishable tone, a woman's voice. "Mo… Mother?" was all Nora said before she completely blacked out.

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Sol woke up and lazily got out of bed. He remembered the incident the night before and wondered if he should apologize. When he got dressed he heard a lot of yelling and talking downstairs. "I wonder if it's those bandits coming for some payback." As Sol started out the door he saw that Nora's room was open. _"Uh-oh… that can't be good."_ As Sol rushed downstairs he saw a huge crowd of people gathering outside the inn two of them he recognized as Piaras and Malcolm. "Hey what's going on!?" Sol asked Piaras who had a distressed look on his face. "Nora hasn't come back yet! She left sometime in the middle of the night and now no one knows where she is now!." Piaras said as he wrung his hands through his hair. "I'll bet it's those damn bandits. Well I won't stand for it!! I'm going to get Nora back if it kills me!" Malcolm said with fury in his eyes and immediately started for Alby before being blocked by Trefor and another older man. "don't be ridiculous! You barely even know how to use a sword!" the older man scolded. "But Ranald, I-" Malcolm started but was cut off . "I'll go find Nora." Sol declared. "What!? Do you even have any idea where she is?" an even older man asked. "You said the bandit hideout in Alby dungeon right? I'll just start there." Sol said as if it were perfectly normal. "But you'll be slaughtered!" Piaras exclaimed "every single person we've ever sent up there was either killed or was dying when he made it back." "You have any better ideas?" Sol asked challengingly. The entire crowd was silent and unwilling to step up. Taking the silence as all the answer he needed Sol headed off for alby dungeon. "Just…" Malcolm started "Just bring her back… Please." Sol Simply smiled and walked forward.

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"Ngh!" Nora awoke in a very dark room. "_Nora…" _the same voice that called to her last night rang out. Nora turned around to see her mother off in the distance. "Mother!" Nora ran towards her mother as fast as she could with tears in her eyes. As they both embraced Nora felt a sudden pain in her chest and a slicing sound. She looked down and saw her mothers hand thrust deep within her. He looked up "Mo…ther?" The smiling face of her mother soon melted away to reveal the skull underneath. "Die" was what it spoke to her.

"Gyah!" Nora immediately sat up in a dark cell and started looking around. "where am I?" Nora stood up and walked to the bars and looked at the room outside. Across from her were 5 cells in a row, she guessed it was the same on her side as well. And on her right there was a staircase leading up. On her left there was a small little dead end with a table and strange runes drawn into the wall. "_I think I recognize those symbols." _Nora thought to herself. She also saw what appeared to be a human body on the table, mangled and torn beyond recognition. "Is this what they do down here!?"

"Correct!" A loud voice boomed from the staircase. "let me guess you're the bandit leader." Nora said in an irritated voice. "Yes and you are in my research room my dear. It is hear where I continuously search for the secret to God's Power." The leader said with a manic look in his eye. "So what do you need me for?" Nora asked with a defiant expression. "You are a bargaining chip and later a guinea pig." the leader said as he stepped towards the table in the farthest end of the room. "Nora looked closely at all the cells. They all had at leas 1 body in them, some of them mangled and others where still in a human appearance. "Is this what happens to everyone who comes here? Just research projects?" Nora asked. "What do you think?" he said as he sliced into the body on the table.

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As Sol approached the entrance to Alby dungeon he stopped. "you can come out now!" Sol called out to a bush in a slightly frustrated tone. _"If you're going to stalk someone at least do it well."_ When the stalkers refused to come out Sol sliced the area where he sensed them. The bush exploded into leaves and branches. "Hiyah!!" Three people appeared in the air each with their weapons drawn As they descended, to Sol everything seemed to slow down. He drew his blade and as he wrapped both hands around the handle he moved with inhuman speed slashing upward, diagonally, sideways and any other direction in between and sped off towards the entrance to Alby dungeon. As the Bandits finally crashed to the ground the larger one looked as Sol rushed off. "what's the matter you sca-" Before he could finish his body collapsed into several sliced and diced body parts and his axe blade sunk into the ground. And soon the other two figures collapsed into a puddle of blood

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When Sol reached the inner chamber there were only 6 guards in the center. "I expected a little more." as he stared at the empty room. Almost immediately after he stepped in 6 more people leaped down form the ceiling, spears in hand. Sol leaped up and as the 6 assailants landed on the ground he spun in the air and sliced off the heads of the bandits that tried to skewer him. 6 bodies tumbled around him as more doors opened up and dozens of bandits poured out and some windows opened in the upper wall to reveal archers. "Well that's moor like it." as Sol gripped his blade he pressed a small button in the handle and the blade split down the middle and now there were 2 blades in each hand. He primed his battle stance and rushed into the horde.

His mind was blank, nothing but instinct and training was left. As Sol slashed through several bodies he would occasionally stop to either dodge or slash away arrows. One man tried to drive another spear into his back but Sol dodged and the only thing the man hit was one of his comrades who was standing to close. As he tried to pull his spear loose he was cut down by Sol's dual swords. _"sloppy"_ He thought as he cut through 2 more enemies. _"there's no organization in this attack, everyone is just gunning for their own personal glory. It's almost insulting."_ Sol continued the one sided massacre as one person fell after another. The arrows that were constantly following him were also starting to annoy him. As he cut the last one he snapped. "THAT'S IT!!" His blades started to glow and he immediately slashed in the direction of one of the archers sniping posts. A huge wave of dark energy escaped from the blade and destroyed the sniping post and the archer. He repeated this process as well with the remaining nine in the room. "That solves my arrow problem." Sol said as he turned to face everyone else.

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"Sir! Sir!" one of the henchmen burst through the door as the leader turned to face him. "He's killing everyone, he'll probably arrive before-Aaagghh!" The man screamed as 2 black blades suddenly burst through his chest. "So this is where you've been hiding." Sol said as he shoved the body away. "Sol!" Nora yelled from her cell. "Looks like I ended up taking your revenge after all." Sol said in an oddly cheerful tone. He then faced the leader. "_those robes…_You study Fomor magic don't you?" Sol said accusingly. "_Fomors!? that's where I recognized those runes from! I read about it a long time ago" _Nora realized as several history lessons came back to her. "Yes! With this research and the artifact I've found I will be able to harness the power of the Great Fomor God Cichol!" The leader proclaimed. "That seems a little… clichéd." Sol said with a bored look. Nora giggled slightly. "Grrr! Quit mocking me!!" The Leader immediately blasted a fire ball toward Sol who then tried to block with his swords. The fireball exploded upon impact. "Hah!" Sol immediately ran through the smoke and was mere inches away from The former gang leader and sliced him in half. As he stood up Sol relaxed a bit but still seemed tense. "You Beat him!" Nora exclaimed! "Heh heh heh heh!" The corpse laughed . "And of course it's not that simple." Sol said exhausted. He immediately turned and blocked an attack from a clawed hand. As he examined the new body of his enemy he saw that his lower body was similar to the trunk of a gnarled tree while his arms were like black demon claws and although his upper torso was more or less human there was a crystal in his chest that was glowing green. "So that's the artifact that you found." Sol said. "Yes and with this I'll be able to-" "You wouldn't be able to kill a golem with that let alone become a god!" Sol began to laugh uncontrollably as he broke away from their stalemate. "Uuurrgh! You little-Augh!" The leader stopped dead in his tracks as he looked downward. Sol's blades were jammed directly into his jewel. "And another thing… don't leave your weak spot so exposed." Sol grinned as he pulled his blades out. The former leader yelled in agony as his body shattered along with the jewel.

"Well now that that's done why don't we head out?" Sol said as he slashed open the cage. "Uh… Y-yeah…" Nora said still a little dazed by what she just saw.

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The following night was one of celebration. When Nora came home everyone decided to celebrate at the inn and eventually partied themselves out. Piaras thanked Sol dozens of times (Malcolm probably hundreds). Eventually though everyone left or fell asleep in the inn.

_The next day_

"You're leaving already?" Nora asked as Sol packed his things. "Yup, that's what travelers do." He replied. "Well have a safe trip. And if you ever come by again there'll be a reservation right here at the inn." Piaras said. "Thanks" as Sol turned to leave. He noticed a crowd gathered to see him off. He waved goodbye and headed straight for the forest across the field.

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Well there it is. Chapter 1, Hope you liked it.

Personally I thought the story was a bit slow and generic but I couldn't think of anything else

I also apologize for any mistakes I made with grammar(I could never get commas)

The next 4 or 5 chapters are going to introduce other main characters and also put a little insight into Sol's past.

PS: when I try to log in to mabinogi when the bar in the GAME START screen loads up the whole window disappears does anyone know what to do? It said something about my graphic card not meeting the requirements. But that never got in the way until recently.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! I finally made a creative title that actually has something to do with the Main character.(Sol is the name of the Roman God of the sun. or was he a Norse god?) Anyway here's chapter 2. Please Read and Review. PS I don't own Mabinogi but then again I don't need to mention it do I?

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 2: Arrow**

_2 figures clashed against each other in the burning room, the fire slowly engulfing the room around them. Both of them badly injured._

"_Why!?" one of them spoke as their blades clashed. "Why!?" he yelled again and again as they continued to fight. "Why did you kill her!!? She trusted you!… trusted us!!" the boy managed to knock his opponent back and raised his sword high into the air but hesitated, his mind flooded with memories of a happier time. His enemy ,once a comrade, then moved in for the kill. While on the ground the boy looked up at his former friend "Wh- why?". "You wouldn't understand." was all he said._

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The son was beginning to set and the sky had turned into a light purple as the stars began to show themselves. Sol sat by the warm campfire that he had set up about a half-hour ago he, caressed an area where a rather large scar would be seen if he had a shirt off. He was surrounded by thick trees and foliage, the sky was dotted with bright stars. He also heard footsteps off in the distance but paid little attention to it. "_Whatever it is"_ he thought. _" it isn't very close and seems to be moving in a zigzag pattern."_ passing it off as some random hunter he then turned his attention to his stomach. "What should I eat?" He said out loud knowing full well no one would here him. He then hatched a brilliant idea

**1 hour later**

Sol marveled at his creation. A large sandwich stood in the middle of a plate made up of several layers of meat, cheese, and vegetables and almost reached up to his knee. "Okay lets see if this works." Just as Sol was about to take a bite 2 figures dashed out of the bushes and across his campsite screaming. "RUN RUN!! SHE'LL KILL US ALL!" as soon as they appeared they immediately vanished into the adjacent bush. "Well that was weird." as Sol prepared again to take his bite he saw a flicker off the corner of his eye and moved back.

An arrow zipped passed his head and another almost hit his arm. Sol then jumped up and rolled around dodging several arrows until one grazed his sandwich tower. "Gyah!" Sol stopped it from swerving and breathed a sigh of relief. "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!!" A loud feminine voice rang from the direction the first 2 people appeared from and a cloak figure suddenly appeared and was leaping from tree branch to tree branch and Used Sol's face as a stepping stone. Sol fell over and briefly zoned out and watched the cloaked figure run off. "And that was painful. Oh well, at least I still have my-" Sol looked over and saw that the sandwich had tipped over into the fire and most of the inner layer had been burned to a crisp.

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"That chick owes me 6 out of the 8 layers of my sandwich!" Sol said leaping form tree branch to tree branch and finally spotted a figure in a small clearing "Finally…" Sol muttered. Sol stopped suddenly when he saw why she wasn't moving, she was surrounded. "You actually fell for that coward act?" one of the figures said. On closer inspection Sol realized that it was a band of Goblins. "I guess so… I didn't think there were actors good enough to fake crapping themselves and make it look real." the girl taunted. There were some murmurs among the crowd that Sol suspected to be laughter. "Shut Up!" the goblin yelled and foolishly looked away. As soon as all the Goblins focused on the one who yelled, the girl suddenly pulled out a weapon from her back. "a crossbow?" Sol said but saw some noticeable differences from regular ones. The woman's was made almost entirely out of steal and there was a small cylindrical container on the bottom that looked like it held arrows. The Woman took aim and squeezed the trigger and dozens of arrows spewed out striking several Goblins while the others were rather slow to react and fired in a panic. The woman immediately disappeared and reappeared in the air and rained dozens of arrows down on the goblins until only one was left. "Any more comments?" The goblin was now shaking uncontrollably. The woman then pointed her crossbow at the goblin. It started to yell but immediately caught an arrow between the eyes. "Did you enjoy the show?" She called out. Sol stepped out not wanting to insult her by trying to hide. "Actually yes. I was about to take violent revenge against you for my sandwich but after seeing that I guess I'll let it go. _"Sandwich?" _She removed her hood and revealed her dark blue hair which was wrapped up in a neat pony tail, her turquoise eyes were clear and determined. Under her cloak/cape was several parts of leather armor that hid what Sol suspected to be some rather sizable cleavage. "I'm up here!" She said. Sol blinked in surprise not realizing that he had looked down "Sorry, anyway my name's Sol, Sol Invictus." He held out his hand and she took it. "Diana, Diana Cerridwen." they both smiled at one another.

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"This is the Dugald Isle Logging Camp" Diana said as she led Sol to the gates of the camp. Sol saw several tents and stacks of logs piled high into the sky. Several men and women, most of which carried axes (not surprisingly) milling about and in the outer edges of the camp were several armed individuals. Diana noticed how Sol was eyeing all of the guards. "Those goblins from earlier were part of a larger group nearby and were causing a lot of trouble here. My mercenary group was hired to keep them away while they made shipments. Not the most interesting job but at least it pays well." Diana said as she motioned Sol to come with her.

"So where are we headed to now?" Sol questioned as they headed deeper into the camp. "You see that large tree? My boss and client are there and I have to make a report." Sol nodded as they neared a large tent. "Sir! The group you ordered me to track down was eliminated." Diana said as she entered the tent and stood up straighter. "I see. Were there any problems you seem distracted." A rather smooth female voice rang out from the tent as Sol listened. "Not really. It's just that they lead me into an ambush. Goblins aren't usually that smart." Diana responded. "Maybe their just wising up to your tactics, every time a goblin so much as looks at this place one of you goes off an kills it. I have piles of corpses out there and it's not exactly good for business." A Booming male voice rang out and almost made Sol jump. "No it was more than that. Granted it wasn't much but there seemed to be some thought into how they set up the group, not just random placement. It actually took me a while to figure out that it was a trap." Diana explained. For the most part she was right. If Diana was as skilled as Sol thought, then she wouldn't have fell for an ambush especially not by goblins. "They have been getting a little craftier… maybe we should increase patrols." the female voice said. "Good idea, I'll tell my boys to keep an eye out too." Sol could hear them coming out and turned to face them. First Diana came out and then a rather tall woman emerged She had Chestnut brown hair, slightly tanned skin and firm grey eyes. Sol also noticed a large 2 handed sword strapped to her back. Another man came out, he had a muscular build, brown clothes and hair, a thick beard and a rather mischievous look in his eye. "Who's he?" the man spoke. "Sol, Sol Invictus." Sol introduced himself offering his hand. "He's someone I met in the woods while I was tailing those goblins." Diana explained. "Well then I'm Tracy." Tracy grabbed Sol's hand and shook forcefully. "And I'm Tara." The tall woman said, bowing her head. "Pleasure to meet you…" Sol said with a rather distracted look on his face. He turned his head towards the mountain with concern. Diana wondered what he was thinking.

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"Dear Lord please aid us." A voice cried out in the darkness cave. There were several goblins in the dark cave all kneeling and praying. In the very back stood a large shrine. Not one of the goddess Morrighan but of the fomor god Cichol. "Help us smite this human filth from this world so we can bring you closer to revival!" The lead goblin who was wearing a long black cape yelled out. Nothing happened, the priest heard several whispers among his crowd. "My people! We must not lose faith, in time our lord will aid us and destroy our enemies! Although our numbers have decreased we must endure!" The Priest yelled in the hopes of convincing his brethren and renewing their faith. Although there were less whispers there were still some mutterings of discontent. The priest dismissed the gathering and went off to his small room in the cave. He cursed as he threw his cape to the floor in a heap. _"how am I supposed to keep my position with a god that won't even do anything!"_ The priest held his head in his hands in frustration. "**Do you really want power**?" A voice said from nowhere . "who's there!?" he jumped up in surprise. "**No need to fear, I am merely here to grant you what you desire most!" **the voice boomed with a hint of delight. "A-a-are you… -gulp- Lord Cichol?" the priest squeaked. **"No but someone close to him. I'll give you this sword, it will give you power and in return you will do Cichol's bidding!"** The priest nodded in agreement seeing as his plans were starting to fall apart anyway. A sword that looked more like a tangled up root appeared in the air. As soon as the priest grabbed it he felt unimaginable power coarse through him. He grinned and knew his time has come!

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The whole camp was bustling with movement as many workers and mercenaries alike were either cleaning up or getting some food ready. A large campfire was set up in a large clearing near some tents, many people were sitting around it eating or talking with friends. Sol sat next to Tara and Diana while Tracy was telling the circle of people about some kind of over-the-top story from his past. "So what's your story?" Sol asked Diana. "What do you mean?" Diana asked. "How did you become a mercenary? You don't seem like the mercenary type… once you take away the armor and lethal weapons." Sol responded.

"It was a really long time ago…" Diana started as the look in her eyes started to grow more distant. "I lived in a very out of the way village, you wouldn't be able to find it unless you tried really hard. That made it easy for us to avoid conflicts that would otherwise involve other more well known towns. However, that also made us easy targets for bandits and criminals since there were limited patrols where we were. Several memories struck Diana's mind, of an entire village in flames, of people screaming as armed men, more animal than human, chased them. "Slave traders attacked they killed some and captured the rest. That's how it was with me. They killed my dad and my mom and me were captured." Diana clenched her fists. "They treated us like animals, and in time we slowly became that way just trying to survive. Eventually my mom was killed while trying to help someone else from our village." Tara spoke up next "Eventually my group found her. We were hired by some vengeful husband who ordered us to slaughter every last one of them. It wasn't hard either after seeing that place. The corpses barely looked human. Diana looked at the fire with a distant look. "Uh… Sorry for bringing up bad memories." Sol said scratching the back of his head looking down. "We took Diana in after that and I personally trained her. However she always had a knack for making different gadgets. Some of which didn't exactly work how they were supposed to." Tara said indicating a bitter experience from the past. "Hey I put the fire's out!" Diana protested. "Not before the whole building collapsed! Do you know how much it costs to replace an _entire_ guild hall? You'd die before you could make that much." Tara argued back. Sol was in the middle of them wondering what exactly Diana worked on in the past.

"So what about you?" Tara asked "Huh?" Sol said snapping back to reality. "We told you our story now what's yours?" Diana said genuinely curious. "I was part of a group of knights who were in the service of a rich family. Their mansion was isolated like your village and almost nothing else was out there. Eventually a disease spread through the mansion and killed most of the family we were serving until only their eldest daughter and her younger brother was left. Soon after that though, things started to go down hill." Sol's eyes seemed to grow more distant. "The manor was suddenly under constant attack by these strange creatures, they looked a lot like those fomors from the history books. They didn't attack in large numbers but it happened every day. Pretty soon we had to set up barriers and guards. The mansion turned into a fortress, but even that wasn't enough." Sol's fists clenched, Diana noticed that the crowd grew silent and was paying close attention to Sol's story. "One night someone opened the gate and undid the seal. The monsters poured in like a waterfall. Pretty soon everyone was fighting or dying. It was a long night filled with screams and death and soon I found that I was the only survivor." Sol remembered flames, of several dead eyes staring up at him, and the smile of a girl who he swore to protect. "And well… here I am." Sol unclenched his fists and looked up and suddenly flashed his carefree smile. "Well enough of that! I'm heading to bed Before things get too crazy out here." Sol said walking gingerly away as if he never mentioned the story he had just told everyone. "I sorta… don't feel like partying now." one man said and walked towards the cabins. Soon everyone else followed until only Diana, Tara and Tracy were left. "Well that was a bit of a downer…" Tracy said as the trio headed to their respective cabins.

Sol lied awake on his bed with a frown on his face. _"And I was in such a good mood this afternoon too." _Sol turned to his side and glared at his sword. He got up and removed his shirt, revealing several runes and signs carved into his body. "I wonder how long this journey is going to last before I can begin?" Sol said and eyed the mountain outside the camp with suspicion. _"Why is it that whenever I go somewhere something bad always has to happen…" _Sol then began to organize his possessions for, what he expected to be, a very eventful morning.

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It was early morning, a thin fog covered the earth below the cloudy sky. "Are you sure that this sword is all that I need?" the goblin priest asked the tall figure next to him. He was dressed in black armor that resembled a skeleton. **"Of course. If you use it correctly then you will easily destroy the humans below and make them pay for your humiliation up to this point. No doubt your "followers" agree."** The armored figure looked at the army of goblins behind them, looked straight into their dead eyes and expressionless faces. "It's amazing what this sword can do to a persons mind when you simply wish for it." The priest said as he looked towards the camp. **"Are you going to attack now?"** The goblin leader grinned. "No… I'll wait for a little bit longer. I want them to see the one who hack them to bits." The Goblin leader began to laugh madly while the armored figure simply watched and waited.

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"Soool~!" Diana called out while banging on the door. It had been almost 3 hours since everyone had woken up and Sol was still locked in his room. Diana called out louder and banged even harder. _"Screw this"_ Diana stepped back and kicked down the door.

**Sol's POV**

Sol spent nearly half the night preparing his things and had finally found some peace. As Sol was about to fall asleep, however, there was a sudden racket and he new that everyone was heading to work. Sol wrapped himself under the blankets and tried to sleep. Just as he got used to the noise, something else disturbed him. It was Diana banging on his door. _"Go away…"_ When Sol decided to give up he walked to the door when it suddenly burst towards him and slammed him to the ground.

"Huh?" Diana scanned the room only to find an empty, messed up bed and a desk. She herd some muffled sounds from beneath her and looked down, a hand was sticking out the side of the door. "Oh my God!" Diana immediately pulled the door off of Sol and sat him up. "I'm so sorry I just…" Diana saw an angry look on Sols face, he stood up and reached for his sword. "Sol…" Diana looked at him worried. "This is too much…" Sol said with an exhausted tone. "Too much…" Sol then pulled out his sword. "Sol! C-calm Down!" Diana backed away slightly. "TOO MUCH…!" Sol raised his sword up. Diana closed her eyes expecting the blade to cut through her. Nothing. She opened her eyes and saw that Sol jammed his sword into the wall, she looked to out the window and saw a hand reaching for something. Sol pulled his sword out of the wall and pulled a goblin corpse through the wall as well. Diana ducked as the body flew over her. Diana and Sol heard screams and sounds of battle outside the cabin, they looked at each other and ran outside the gaping hole Sol just made in the wall.

As the duo made their way outside they could see the chaos that was taking place around them. Mercenaries and workers were desperately fighting off the goblins. That wasn't what was catching their attention though. What really surprised them was that the goblins were getting back up! When a goblin was killed or cut in half it put itself back together and continued fighting. Diana and Sol looked at each other and nodded. The split up and charged into the largest group of goblins they could find.

When Sol spotted his target he pulled out his sword and immediately pulled it apart so there were 2 in his hands. The Goblins fired arrows as Sol leaped into the air, he slashed away each one. One goblin in the center tried to block Sols strike but was cut down the middle regardless. As Sol landed he immediately twirled around and decapitated all the goblins who formed a circle around him. As Sol stood in the center looking at the carnage he just committed he looked in surprise as the bodies stood up, the heads on the ground melted into a black liquid and sped towards their respective bodies and reformed as proper heads. "So I'm dealing with _this_ again?" Sol grinned as he readied his swords.

Diana fired arrow after arrow at each goblin but they only got back up. "Alright you asked for it!" Diana emptied another clip of arrows and reached for a clip with a red tip. She loaded it and fired a volley at the nearest handful of goblins. At first they shrugged it off but they suddenly burst into flames. _"magic seals, always useful."_ Diana then watched in horror as the goblins got back up without a scratch on them. "This could be a while."

Tara slashed through multiple goblins with her broadsword. She glanced around and saw that the only real casualties that were suffered were from _her_ side. Several bodies lay strewn about, some dead or dying. There were only a handful of survivors, herself, Tracy, Sol, and Diana included. "This is going nowhere!" she said as she cut down another goblin. She then heard a scream and looked over, a large Goblin with a large black sword had impaled one of her subordinates. She also noticed that when a goblin was resurrected the jewel in the swords hilt glowed. Tara grinned "I just found your weakness. Hey Ugly!" Tara launched herself at the goblin priest.

Sol effortlessly cut through more goblins until he eventually made his way to Diana who was doing a surprisingly good job at keeping the goblins at a distance. Sol eventually ran up to her and started to talk. "This is going nowhere!" Sol slashed a goblin across the stomach and kicked it away. "We have to find out how their resurrecting and stop it!" Diana fired another burst of explosive arrows at the horde. "Don't you think I know that, if I wasn't pinned here I would've taken care of that already!" Diana then smashed a goblins skull in with the butt of her crossbow when it got too close. The fighting suddenly stopped when the heard a scream. The 2 fighters looked over and saw Tara fighting what appeared to be the goblin leader… with one arm missing.

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The Goblin priest was hacking through dozens of humans a minute! "What fun!" He said to himself. As he impaled another human who managed to work up the nerve to attack him. "Fool!" He said as he swung the corpse away. _"My victory will soon be realized!"_ The priest was completely consumed by his power. "Hey ugly!" A woman's voice called out. The priest looked over to see an armored female charging at him. He smiled as he parried her strike. The woman swung again and again but each strike was either dodged or knocked aside. The woman continued her relentless assault until she kicked the sword away. "Ha!" the woman brought her sword up to cut him down but the sword came to life and slice off her arm. The priest smiled sadistically.

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Diana and Sol rushed towards Tara and the Goblin leader but were blocked off by another horde of goblins. "out of our way!" Sol and Diana both attacked and reduced the horde to pieces only to have it rise back up. "Damn it!" Diana fired volley after volley of arrows as she forced her way towards her injured leader. "Tara!!" Diana called out. The leader grabbed Tara by the throat and picked up his sword and thrust it through her stomach. "No…" Diana fell to her knees, staring blankly at Tara's body fall to the ground. She glanced around the camp. None of her mercenary troupe had survived, the only ones who did were a handful of the logging camp crew, Tracy, Sol and Herself.

The priest noticed her and hovered over to her. He picked up his sword but as he brought it down. Sol jumped in and blocked it. "Mind if I cut in!?" Sol smiled through gritted teeth as he pushed the Goblin priest away and immediately launched himself at him and unleashed a flurry of attacks at the priest. Although many of the attacks connected, the wounds were instantly healed. _"It's that sword." _Sol thought as he jumped up to dodge an attack by his opponent. Sol then sped under the goblin priest and kicked him into the air and followed after him.

"Who the hell is this brat!" The goblin leader stared angrily as Sol sped upwards towards him, his cloak looked spreading in the wind. As Sol raced upward to strike him, the Goblin leader parried the blow and they were both in free fall. Or rather it was the goblin leader that was. Sol was soaring higher and stopped as covered the sun from the priests vision. His cloak spread out as though it were a pair of wings. For the first time in this battle, the goblin priest felt fear. He wasn't sure why, he knew the sword made him basically immortal and also that it gave him unlimited power. "So Why?" Sol descended on the goblin priest bringing his swords to bear. "Why do I feel this sense of dread?" The goblin leader asked himself before blocking Sol's massive blow. The look in Sol's eyes was one of cold indifference. He continued his relentless assault as they both descended towards Erinn. With each strike it became harder and harder to block each attack. Eventually Sol pushed away and brought both his feet down on the Goblin priest's stomach.

Diana watched the entire duel in the sky with amazement, even the goblins stopped to watch, taking a closer look she realized they would land where she was kneeling. She scooted back just in time to avoid a large crater made by Sol crashing down on the goblin leader. With the leader unconscious, Sol picked up the sword and impaled the goblin leader with it. He then slashed the sword down the middle, destroying the crystal as well. Immediately all the Goblins started screaming in agony and melted into a black liquid. "N-no… My Power!" The Goblin priest was growing thinner until you could practically see the bones. "What's happening!?" The priest yelled as he was absorbed by the 2 halves of his sword. The blade soon evaporated into the air.

As Sol climbed out of the crater he saw Diana kneeling next to Tara's body. "I'd try to celebrate but right now I think we should start building a grave site." Tracy said as he walked up to Sol. "We should probably leaver her alone." He said as he and Tracy ran off to help the survivors.

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**The next Day**

A large funeral was held in the Dugald Isle Logging camp. One of the hills had to be cleared for a graveyard and many different buildings were set up. In total it took about 10 days to complete, a very bitter and long 10 days.

"That should be everything!" Sol said as he packed his bag. "So where are you heading to next?" Tracy asked with a smile on his face. "Dunbarton, I heard that it's a nice place to visit this time of year." Sol said taking one last look at the small grave yard on the hill. Turning to face the road he started off, as he walked onward he heard another set of footsteps behind him. "What are you doing?" Sol said looking at the girl with the blue hair just behind him. " You said you were heading to Dunbarton right?" Diana asked. Sol nodded in response. "since there's nothing left for me here, I guess I'll tag along with you for a little bit. Besides, I still owe you for saving my life." Diana said with a sudden serious look on her face. Sol just stared at her for a few seconds until finally he started walking again. "Do as you wish." He said, smiling as he walked passed her. Diana smiled back and they both walked onward to their next destination.

Meanwhile, an armored figure went towards the pile of castaway bones that was once the goblin leader. The sword that was split in two immediately reformed and turned into another shape. The handle had the design of a dragon twisting around a pillar with wings representing the sword hilt. The jewel in the center looked like a demon's eye. And the blade was a glistening silver that seemed to glow with a certain malevolence. **"This could get interesting…"** as the armored man sheathed his sword and dashed into the woods.

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From this point on I'll be able to update maybe once every couple of weeks depending on how much Homework I get from school. (you know how crazy it can get near the end of the year) anyway here is a little extra I've added.

**Diana's Arrows** (since I couldn't think of a reason to fully explain it in the story I'll explain it here)

Diana's crossbow functions similarly to that of a modern day machinegun and the arrows are also special. The clips that hold them can also be used as arcane grenades that open up and spray arrows in a large circle. There are also special enchantments placed on some of the arrows that Diana has. As seen in the story, one of the arrows that has a red tip has a fire seal that makes an enemy burst into flame. She also has arrows with blue and yellow tips on them (you could probably guess what those do) and even arrows that can split into 10 arrows.

**Sol's sword **(this is only because I thought that I didn't describe it well up to now)

Sol's sword is a Japanese style Katana with a Black blade with runes carved into it. It is actually 2 swords in one, The blades split down the middle when a special button on the handle is pressed and becomes 2 katanas. It also shows the ability to fire waves of dark energy although whether or not it's the sword or Sol himself is not made clear.

PS: Diana's first and last name come from different moon goddesses from 2 different cultures. There are about 4 moon references in my story. (you've seen 3 of them)


	3. Chapter 3

You know what's good about having an under the radar fan fiction archive? You don't have to dig through dozens of pages to find what you want. That's all I have to say. Oh and how I don't own mabinogi, I know I don't need to say it but I think it's become tradition to post disclaimers on your fan fictions. (at least I think) And also, to anyone who thought this, No. I didn't base any of the characters in this story on my character or any other character in mabinogi(that I know of)

**Mabinogi: The Setting Sun**

**Chapter 3: Doll**

_A young boy about 14 years old walked along the roof of the outer wall around the manor, slowly scanning the view of the forest around him. "_Just keeping an eye out…_" the young boy said to himself as he uninterestedly scanned the horizon. His unusual white hair flowed as a sudden gust of wind blew around him. In actuality, the only reason he was up there was to get away from patrolling the inner halls and risk boring himself to death. "Like anything will be able to get inside." the boy scoffed. Being only 14 he wasn't given any actual duties so no one would really notice if someone on the inside was gone. For all he knew there could be other guards goofing off somewhere._

_As the boy continued around the next corner he someone else looking out over the distance as well. The boy was surprised, not because it was unusual for someone to be up here at this time, but because it was a girl, the girl he had sworn an oath to protect. "Uh… M-miss Luna!?" He exclaimed without thinking. The young girl turned to face him in surprise, her black hair swaying as she did so, her long white dress waved slightly in the wind. When she looked at him he could see directly into her crimson eyes. She smiled gently at him and opened her mouth. "Sol…" Immediately he felt a large pain in his stomach._

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Sol was immediately awake and clutching his stomach, gasping for breath. He looked up to see Diana staring back at him, with irritation on her face. "Why?" Sol said in pain. "I've been trying to wake you up for over 45 minutes!" Diana yelled. "Well even so you don't have to be so rough about it. Couldn't you have just shaken me or poked me?" Sol said dusting of his sleeves. "I did and when that failed I resorted to plan B." Diana said turning around and gathering her supplies. "Now hurry up and get ready or I'm leaving you." Diana said slinging her bag over her shoulder. Sol merely grumbled as he gathered his things.

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As the traveling duo neared Dunbarton they passed several fields and farms, some of which were empty or dead. "What happened here?" Diana said looking around. "I can just smell the horrifying demons and power hungry mages just bursting down our hotel room door!" Sol said anticipating yet another horrible experience. "Our room? You mean your room. I'm sleeping at a friends house today." Diana crossed her arms. "Say it aint so! Diana, I thought we had something!" Sol said playfully before getting kicked in the stomach again. "Okay… I'll shut up now." Sol said clutching his gut.

As the two made it into the town, they found it to be more lively than the area outside the wall. There were dozens of people, mostly in the central plaza, talking, shopping or setting up shops of their own. "Well, this explains where all the people outside the wall went." Sol said looking around. As he stepped forward he was suddenly rammed to the ground. "Ngh! W-what the-!?" Sol said as he tried to get up. He looked in the direction of what hit him and saw a person, no older than 15, covered entirely in a brown cloak. "S-sorry about that?" the cloaked figure said standing up. Sol noticed something sticking out from behind him and examined it closely. It was a staff, he soon realized. It was extremely long, almost a full head taller than it's owner. At the very top was a large golden disc and at four points along the edge were several different colored crystals. _"A mage…"_ Sol and Diana both thought. "No problem. Here, let me help you with those." Sol noticed that there were several books scattered about, most likely belonging to the mage. "Thank you very much. My name is Toran by the way." the cloaked figure said removing his hood. The boy had a fairly pale complexion and short brown hair that was combed in a sort of emoish (but not quite) style that slightly covered his right eye. "Pleased to meet you Toran." Sol said handing him a small stack of books. "Say… just what exactly are all these books for anyway?" Toran took the books and placed them in his bag. "they're just some things I needed to pick up for the school… and some replacement textbooks." As Toran spoke the last part Sol saw a distant look on his face, probably reminiscing about an earlier incident. "So what about you two?" Toran asked. "I'm just passing through. Diana on the other hand…" Sol said gesturing towards his traveling companion. "Same thing as he is, although I was hoping to visit a friend here while we are staying." Diana finished. "Well good luck finding an inn. There's been an unusual shortage of crops around town as you no doubt observed on your way in. All the farmers abandoned their homes to live here, many have opted to living at the inns." Toran said looking towards a group of travelers sitting on the side of the road. "You're joking…" Sol said dumbstruck. "What are we going to do!? Wait! Diana, maybe your friend could spare us a room?" Sol turned to Diana only to find that she disappeared. Sol immediately saw her running off down the street. "She only has room for 1. Sorry Sol, but you're on your own on this one." Diana said disappearing around the next corner. "you traitor!" Sol called out. He collapsed on the ground in despair. "Uh… we have some spare rooms in the school. I could lend you one there." Toran spoke. Immediately Sol rushed over to him with tears in his eyes. "really!?" He said with a wide grin. "S-sure…" Toran said suddenly questioning his decision. "Yes!!!" Said Grabbing Toran by the collar and running down the street. "The school's the other way!" Toran yelled.

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"If I remember correctly it should be around here." Diana said walking down a section of road that extended from the main one at an odd angle. "Ah! There it is!" Diana walked over to a small building, outside was a small stand with several weapons on display and a sign that read "Don't even think about it." Diana smiled and knocked on the door and yelled. "Nerys!… Nerys!" Diana banged on the door a couple of times for good measure. "I'm coming already!" a loud voice called out from within the building. The door soon opened and a tall slender figure appeared in the doorway. She had short red hair with the bangs slicked back. Her eyes were a grayish-blue color and her ears had ruby earrings on them that matched her hair. "Longtime no see." She said as she smiled. "Why don't you come in." Diana smiled back and disappeared behind the door.

"I see…" Nerys had a very solemn look in her eyes. So everyone is dead." Diana took a sip of the tea Nerys had prepared a few minutes earlier. "It's so strange." Diana's eyes seemed distant. "It seemed like only a little while ago that you, Eavan and Manus left the group to go freelancing, and finally ending up here." Diana took another sip and set her cup down. "I know what you mean." Nerys sunk deeper into her chair. "I feel like I should be crying but…" Nerys stared at the ceiling as if looking for an answer to a question she didn't ask. "So what are you doing now?" Nerys asked wanting to change the subject. "Are you staying here in Dunbarton? If you are, I can give you a room until you can afford your own place." Nerys offered but Diana shook her head. I still want to see the rest of the world, besides the reason why I'm the only survivor is because someone saved me. I still owe that man a debt, and although he can be a pain, I'll help him however I can." Diana said. "I see. Well take care of yourself, it's a rough place out there. And if you ever need anything you know where to find me." Nerys said smiling. "It's funny you should mention that…" Diana laughed. Nerys did as well knowing what she was going to ask.

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Sol let out a low whistle as he entered the Dunbarton school. There were several decorations and banners in the main hall of the building, mostly red. A large staircase rose in the center and split in 2 directions towards their respective walk ways and several doors lined up in rows. "Big place…" Sol said in awe. "Not really." Toran walked up the stairs and stopped halfway and turned. "This place is actually pretty small compaired to cities like Emain Macha. Coming?" Toran asked. Sol nodded an quickly trotted up the stairs. As he did so however, he saw someone leaping towards Toran from behind. Before he could say anything the figure crashed into Toran who crashed into Sol who kissed the silky red carpet(hard).

"Mfwhat…Dhe… hell." Sol muffled out. "Cleo. What a surprise." Toran said looking at the girl who just jumped on him. By this time Sol had an unnecessary familiarity with the floor and decided to end his relationship with it. "Grrraaahh! Get off me!!" Sol pushed of Toran and the girl he called Cleo as he forced his way up. Sol turned to the girl. "What's wrong with you!? You could have killed me that time!" Sol yelled. Cleo slowly stood up and dusted off her turquoise robe. She had long black hair that extended just past her shoulders and brown eyes. "Sorry about that. I didn't see you back there." Cleo stared back at Sol with a big smile on her face. "Sol!" Toran ran up and stood next to Cleo. "This is Cleo, she joined us about 1 year ago. You'll have to forgive her pranks, she does this to just about everyone here." Toran said. "You don't have to treat me like some kid, I can deal with these kinds of things by myself!" Cleo argued. "If you could, you'd stop doing them altogether!" Toran replied. Sol turned toward the stairs and walked off while Toran and Cleo were having their argument. _"Time to explore…"_

Sol walked down a ridiculously long hallway. There were doors on one side and windows on the other. If one were to look out, they would see a large courtyard in the center. "This place must go around in a circle." Sol wondered out loud. That's when he notice that not only was the hallway unusually long but also empty. All Sol could see that was alive in the hall was him and a small mouse that scurried off somewhere. "For a school this place should be a little more crowded." Sol commented. He stared out of one of the window and relaxed a little. _"This reminds me a lot of back then…"_ Sol remembered the last time he saw something like this, an almost endless sea of green with mountains looming in the distance. " enjoying the view?" Cleo asked. "Gyahh!" Sol backed away and was about to draw his sword until he saw who surprised him. "If you're wondering why this place is so empty it's because a lot of people are on vacation somewhere." Cleo rested her arms on the window sill. "Cleo? I thought you and Toran were fighting." Sol asked. "He realized he was prepping an experiment and it almost exploded so he ran off so I thought I'd hang out with the new guy." Cleo said cheerfully. "Y'know I'm pretty new here myself!" Cleo declared proudly. "If everyone is on vacation then how come you and Toran are here" Sol asked. "We're orphans, we don't really have anywhere or anyone to visit, besides they needed someone to watch over the school and there weren't any real vacation spots nearby." Cleo opened a window and let the wind breeze through her black hair. "There are also a few teachers here but they went out a little while ago." Images of his time on top of a castles outer wall flooded Sol's mind. As well as images of a young girl staring into the distance, deep in thought. The girl turned toward him slowly. "Sol?" Sol merely smiled "Luna…" he whispered. "Sol?" Cleo called him. "Huh? Uh what?" Sol snapped back to reality. "You looked a little dazed. An who's Luna?" Cleo probed. _"crap, I said that outloud?"_ Sol reprimanded himself in his head. "S-she's… someone who looked like you." Sol cursed himself again in his head for saying something that would only feed fuel to the fire. "Ooohh! I smell a secret! Was she your girlfriend or something?" Cleo leaned in closer as Sol moved back.

"Hey! Sol, Cleo! I've been looking all over for you." Toran ran up to both of them. Sol immediately jumped on the chance to get away. "Hey Toran do you know where my room is?" Sol ran up to him with Cleo not far behind. "I thought you had an experiment to save." Cleo said a little disappointed that she missed out on some potential gossip. "I arrived to late so I cleaned it up before If would make a large mess." Toran replied, then turned to Sol. "Anyway, your room is down the last door you see in this hall. "Thanks!" Sol immediately bolted down the hallway. Toran turned to Cleo. "Did you say anything to him?" Cleo giggled mischievously.

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A tall figure walked through the gates of Dunbarton. He wore a large suit of black armor with a skeleton design on it. His helmet which was carried under his arm was similar to that of a horned human skull and a large claymore with a handle that looked like 2 dragons wrapped around each other. His head was the only visible feature of his body. He had pale skin, yellow eyes and short slightly spiky black hair that had streaks of silver through it. "What a creepy design." a traveler spoke to one of his companions. "I know, I can imagine guards talking to him just for standing around." the other joked. The armored man grinned as he heard this, not because the joke was funny, but because it actually happened to him twice before. He scratched the back of his head and switched the arms that were holding his helmet and walked down main street. He noticed that it also started to rain and saw a girl with blue hair running in the opposite direction.

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**About 1 hour earlier**

Diana placed her things in a neat little pile next to the closet and sat on the bed in the spare room Nerys was letting her use. The afternoon sun was glaring through her window. "So where's your traveling partner?" Nerys said leaning on the frame of the doorway. "I guess he's staying at the school. At least that's what I overheard when I ditched him." Diana said removing her chest armor, revealing the dark blue shirt underneath. " I… see." Nerys walked towards the window. "The sky is getting cloudy, not surprised. It is fall after all." Nerys then realized something. She ran downstairs, Diana heard a little bit of drawers and cabinets being opened and closed, and in a little while ran back up holding a basket. "Here take this to your friend. It'll probably help along the way." Diana took the basket. "Thanks! I'll take it to him now while it's still partially sunny." Diana ran off down the street. As Nerys watched her she suddenly had a grim feeling and went downstairs to her basement. She pulled out an object wrapped in a cloth and opened it. She revealed a beautiful steel longsword with a golden hilt and intricate designs on the blade. "I hope my feelings are wrong on this one.." Nerys clasped the sword and sheath to her belt and walked across the street. "Manus! You, me and Eavan may have one last job to do!"

**Now**

" Diana covered her head with the hood on her cloak and started to run. _"how did it get from partially sunny to pouring buckets of rain in less than an hour."_ she continued to run towards the school and bumped into something hard. "Oww… Sorry about that." When Diana turned around she saw a man with short black hair with silver streaks running through it. His armor was black and had a skeletal design. "No problem! Where are you off to in such a rush anyway?" The man said. "I was going to give these to my friend at the school. It started pouring when I was about to turn the corner so I figured if I'm already this far then I might as well keep going right?" Diana smiled. "I guess so. I'm on my way to the school myself. Would you mind if I walked, or ran if you prefer, with you?" The knight requested. Diana agreed mostly because she wanted to get out of the rain as soon as possible. The two then rushed off towards the school. The jewel in the middle of the hilt on the man's claymore seemed to glint and a demon's eye replaced it for a split second.

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As night descended on the town Sol looked out of the window in his room, a candle burning brightly in the corner of his desk. "It was such a nice day too and now…" Thunder and an increase in rain finished Sol's complaint. Sol sat down on his bed and removed his cloak and threw it over his chair. He sighed as he relaxed as he sat down on the bead relying on the wall to hold him up. He took off the pads on his arms, the gloves on his hands and rolled up his sleeve looking once again at the runes on his arm. Some where in a swirling pattern surrounding several letters(?) from a language he didn't understand and eventually turned into block like designs you might see in a maze in a child's activity book. He remembered the night he received these markings, the night that was filled with nothing but fire and blood. But most importantly, the night that she died _"No.." _Sol thought. "_not when she died. When she was __**murdered**__."_ Sol rolled his sleeves down and heard a knocking on the door. He put the gloves and pads back on and went to answer the door. "Yeah what is it?" Sol opened the door and heard a loud thwack, felt a large pain on his head and fell as everything faded to black.

**About 30 min. earlier**

Cleo was in her room flipping through several books with a bored expression. "It's things like this that make me wish that I don't skip class as much." Cleo closed the book and yawned and stretched her arms. She stared at the ceiling until a sudden pain shot through her body. "Gyahh!" She immediately collapsed and knocked over her chair. She was on her knees and hugging herself in agony. Symbols began to glow across her body and her eyes began to glow green, she felt a prescence getting closer to the school _"No… Not him! I want to stay the way I am!" _she remembered everything that happened to her since coming here. The friends she made and things she learned. Although it was short it was the best moments of her life. _"T… Toran." _she thought in her head before her expression changed from agony to indifference. She calmly stood up and grabbed a broom from the corner of the room and ran down the hall towards Sol's room.

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"So what's your name anyway?" Diana asked as she and the armored man she was traveling with entered the main room. "Vulcan." The knight answered. "Well Vulcan I think it's time you told me what you want from this place." Diana drew out her crossbow and aimed it at Vulcan. "What do you mean?" Vulcan asked as an arrow whizzed passed his cheek and a cut appeared with blood trickling down. "I'm not an idiot. I can spot creeps like you a mile away." Diana said taking aim at Vulcan's head. "Even if I was planning something, why bring me here?" Vulcan had a more serious look on his face. "Almost everyone in the school should be on vacation right now, there is only three people here that I know about and their in good hands." Vulcan grinned. "Ah yes, your friend Sol. He does seem like the reliable type doesn't he?" Diana's eyes widened. "How do you know about him!?" Vulcan placed his helmet on his head and his yellow eyes glared at her. **"That's a story for another time!"** Vulcan pulled out his claymore and rushed towards Diana and was mere inches away from her and struck downward, hitting the floor as Diana barely sidestepped the fierce attack. **"Not bad girl, not bad at all."** Vulcan then rushed forward for another attack.

Suddenly a flash of light appeared behind Vulcan and slammed against his back sending electrical shocks through his body. "AGGH!" Vulcan fell to the ground on his knees. He turned his head to see a young boy in brown wizard robes. "I don't know what you're doing here but you need to leave. NOW!" Toran readied 2 spells, one fire and the other ice, in each of his hands and blasted them both at Vulcan. This time though, he was ready. He blocked the spells with his sword effortlessly. "What the-!" Vulcan rushed towards him and sung his sword. Toran blocked it with his staff and as Vulcan brought the sword back for another strike it came down faster and harder. Toran blocked this again. Vulcan repeated this process over and over each strike becoming faster and harder to block. "this is insane! He's swinging that thing as though it were just a twig!" Diana shot a few arrows into the tornado of slashed Vulcan had become only to have them carved to pieces. "Damn!"

Finally as Vulcan brought down the last blow in his onslaught, he managed to knock Toran's staff away and grabbed his robe and threw him across the room towards

Diana. Diana sidestepped the flying Toran and he crashed into the pillar. "Why didn't you…" Toran staggered "No time to talk!" Vulcan leaped into the air with his sword raised high. Diana removed the clip in her crossbow and tossed it at the knight. The canister opened ant a circle of arrows shot out towards Vulcan. He swatted them away and saw that Diana was gone. He suddenly felt a pain in his side and saw 4 arrows in his side and back. Diana had leaped behind him and shot four fire arrows at the knight. **"Damn!"** Vulcan was suddenly engulfed in flames. "We did it!" Toran was greeted by the sight of the knight falling from a cloud of smoke and slamming into the ground. "Got him!" Diana said as she landed back down. The two of them looked at the armor and were surprised to see it moving again. **"Not a bad start. But let's get serious now."** Vulcan's sword began to glow with a sickening green aura. The blade itself seemed to be crying out for blood. The eye in the center of the hilt opened and looked around. Toran and Diana readied themselves for round 2.

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"Owww…" Sol looked up and saw that he was in the middle of a large underground lair of some sort. There were vines all around the walls, some of which looke a lot like people. He could see creatures moving in the shadows. He noticed is sword was gone, he looked around and saw it tossed into a corner. "And it was such a nice day too…" Sol looked towards the center of the room to see a large tree with huge green jewel embedded in the trunk giving off the same aura s a fomor demon. "Here we go again." Sol heard someone approaching from the side and saw Cleo. But something was different. Her eyes were blank and glowing green and her movements seemed a little off as though she were asleep. She also had a cold indifferent look on her face. "I see, so you were just a doll this whole time." Cleo stood next to the tree, giving no notice to Sol. "You did a pretty good job of hiding it. But I always had my suspicions. I gotta say though, If your creater is trying to push my buttons by having you look like Luna then he'll be disappointed. That card has been played too many times for me to feel anything about it anymore." Sol chuckled a little. "I mean c'mon you even got the eyes wrong! They were red not green." As Sol finished that last remark Diana came crashing down through the roof of the chamber with a dark night following her downward. "Hooray I'm saved." Sol said with mock enthusiasm. "Shut up…" Diana staggered up. Her face had a lot of cuts on it and here cloak was ragged and torn and her armor was starting to fall of.

Vulcan stepped forward and held Toran by the neck and tossed him across the room towards the tree. As Toran looked up he saw the jewel. "Is this what was killing the crops out there!?" He looked over and saw Cleo pouring some kind of liquid into the soil around the tree that seemed to make it stronger. "Cleo!? Stop!" As Toran rose to stop her he was immediately punched in the gut by Cleo. As he fell to the ground he looked up at his friend. "Why?" Sol began to laugh and all the inhabitants in the room looked at him. There was silence.

"She's just a doll kid. This tall bastard over here probably created and placed her here to cause some trouble." Sol gestured to Vulcan. **"Guilty as Charged."** Vulcan shrugged his shoulders. "Then you're the one who did this to Cleo!?" Toran staggered to his feet. "Let her go… Give her back! Now!" Toran put his hands together and fire burned between his palms with the intent to kill Vulcan. However he sensed an attack from behind and blasted his fire ball at an ice spell from Cleo. "What the-?" Cleo's hand was wrapped in darkness and formed a staff. She then pointed it at her former friend. "Cleo…" Toran hesitantly pulled out his staff as well and readied himself.

"**While those two have their fun let's continue with ours.**" Vulcan readied his sword and charged at Diana. Diana sidestepped and fired a few arrows at the knight which, not surprisingly only broke in two upon contact with the armor. _"this is going nowhere!"_ Diana eventually took aim and fired a few more times only to have them swatted away. **"You do realize you're just wasting your arrows."** Vulcan taunted. "I know that's why I freed my friend." Vulcan looked behind him and saw that one of the arrows had broken Sol's chains and the white haired traveler already had his sword drawn. "Alright! Now it's my turn."

Sol drew his blade and Diana aimed her bow at Vulcan's head. **"Well. This seems a little unfair."** Vulcan held out his hand and immediately black demons sprang from the shadows and attacked Diana. **"This must be very familiar to you isn't it Sol."** Vulcan readied his sword as Diana was focused on the newly summoned minions. "please no cheap monologues." Sol readied his blade and charged towards Vulcan. Their two swords sparked as metal clanged against metal. Sol broke away and pressed forward, keeping up a steady stream of attacks pushing Vulcan towards the wall. Vulcan sidestepped on Sol's last attack and his sword sunk into the wall. "Damn!" Sol tried to pull it out but was punched across the room by Vulcan. **"That's it? That didn't last very long now did it?"** Vulcan chuckled as he plucked Sol's Katana from the wall and wielded it in his left hand and his claymore in his right. "Everyone has their off days." Vulcan stabbed at Sol with his claymore but was easily dodged. Sol leaped and turned in the air and kicked Vulcan in the face, causing him to spin and let go of his claymore. Vulcan quickly regained his footing and used Sol's Katana to block the aforementioned travelers next kick. Sol was now doing a rather odd fighting style consisting solely of kicks and spins while only using his hands as balance. _**"This isn't how I expected to be fighting."**_ Sol stepped back and charged forward and bashed Vulcan in the stomach and forcing him to let go of the Katana. As Vulcan sailed across the room Sol picked up his blade. "That advantage didn't last too long now did it?" Sol sensed an attack from behind and sidestepped and saw Vulcan's blade shoot pass him and land next to it's master. Vulcan got up and picked up his blade and challenged Sol to attack. Sol split his blade and charged forward and struck at Vulcan's ribs. He made no effort to block it as Sol's blade shattered against Vulcan's armor. Sol's face went from determination to shock. Vulcan then pulled his fist back to punch him in the gut.

Cleo and Toran's staves clanged against each other as the former classmates dueled to the death. "Cleo! Snap out of it!" Toran broke free and leaped back. Cleo merely stared at him with the same unemotional look that she had when this mess started. Cleo's staff glowed red at the front tip and blue at the back end. She swund one end at Toran and a wave of fire came rushing at Toran and swung again and a pillar of ice also came rushing. Toran dodged these attacks and noticed that Cleo's staff was glowing yellow. "crap" Toran muttered under his breath and put his staff in a blocking position. Cleo swung and a pillar of thunder (no surprise there) raced towards Toran and was blocked by the barrier he had set up. Cleo began preparing another attack and Toran noticed that whenever she cast a spell the green orb in the center of a tree glowed. _"I see…" _Toran then aimed his staff like a javelin and threw it towards the orb. The staff shattered the center immediately and the orb quickly turned to pieces. "Yes!" Toran's joy was short lived as another fire ball just barely missed his head. "What the-!" Toran turned to see Cleo no longer holding a staff but just relying on her hands to channel the spells. "Cleo…" Toran muttered as he did the same.

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"What the hell happened here!?" Stewart stared, mouth agape, as he stared at the unbelievable level of destruction that befell his school while he was away. "We… We just paid for renovations, I donated half my savings!" Stewart examined the damage extensively and heard voices that grew closer. He turned and saw Nerys with a drawn sword, Eavan with a bow and arrow set and Manus who was unarmed but it was safe to say he didn't really need it. "Looks like we missed the party." Manus said stepping forward. "Do any of you know what happened here?" Stewart asked. "No but we're about to find out." Nerys looked toward the center of the room where a large green light was shining out of a gaping hole in the floor. "Let's just get this over with." Eavan readied her bow and was the first of the four to jump straight into the hole.

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Toran heard a loud crash as four individuals came crashing through the hole in the ceiling. "Wha-" Before he could finish Cleo was right in front of him and almost hit him with a fireball at close range. She was preparing another spell when she was suddenly restrained by a barrier spell cast by Stewart. "Uh… M-master!" Stewart straitened his coat and cast a few spells to his left and right to repel the several demons that were scurrying across the room. "When did you get back?" Toran asked. "Just now, I'll ask for the details later but right now we have to get this mess under control. Stewart and Toran eyed the demons surrounding them. They moved back to back and readied different spells. "Let's go!" Immediately they let loose.

Diana had been fighting off hordes of demons, she was being rushed too many times to reload a fresh clip so she resorted to using her crossbow as a club. Holding it by the butt of the cross bow and swinging it like an axe. "There's no end to them!" She yelled as she crushed another demons skull. However, she swung to wide and left her right side open. "Damn!" Another arrow whizzed past her and killed the demon who was about to attack her. Diana looked up and saw Eavan, Nerys and Manus fighting off the demons. Diana grinned "Finally!" With Eavan giving support she loaded a fresh clip and began to fire at the hordes.

Sol was kicked back against the wall still clutching the broken duel blades in his hand. **"Didn't think blades like those were so fragile."** Vulcan gripped his claymore in both hands and lifted it above his head to finally kill Sol but was suddenly racked with pain. _**"Something's sinking into my skin."**_ Sol grinned, his blades had a black aura around them. Vulcan looked behind him and saw that the shattered fragments of Sol's katana were flying towards him and piercing right through his armor. Eventually all the shattered fragments shot through Vulcan's armor and reassembled as Sol's duel katanas, the marks on the sword glowed for a brief moment. **"D-Dirty trick."** Sol said nothing as he reconnected the two halves of his blade and pointed a finger at Vulcan's leg. A beam of dark energy shot out and cut through the armor, crippling the dark knight. "It was you last time wasn't it?" Sol looked directly at Vulcan. "You were the reason that goblin in Dugald Aisle had that sword. Not only that but I'll bet you were the reason for why the bandit leader 'found' that Fomor ring." Sol lifted his blade but waited for an answer. **"Heh heh heh… You catch on quick."** That was all the answer that Sol needed. He brought both hands to his sword and prepared to strike him down.

Cleo, or the doll that was once her, saw what Sol was about to do. She desperately tried to free herself. When struggling proved to be fruitless she summoned all the energy she had and in a burst of light broke the barrier that was restraining her. "Cleo!?" Toran was temporarily blinded by the light of Cleo's spell. By the time he regained eyesight he saw Cleo rushing to aid Vulcan. "Cleo!" Toran ran after her in desperation. He saw it all unfold.

Sol was about to land the final blow when he saw something catch the corner of his eye. He stepped back and readied his blade when a flaming hand appeared where his head had been moments before. "So the doll wants to be first huh?" Sol grinned. Cleo merely readied her own combat stance. "Alright then, Cleo, I'll set you free." Sol rushed toward her but hit nothing but air as she leaped up and attempted to kick him. He easily avoided it "whether a mage or a copy of one, they are still hopeless in a melee fight." Sol commented as he moved in to slash her arm only for his blade to scrape against ice. _"She's pretty good!"_ Cleo turned and began to throw a series of flaming punches at Sol in an attempt to hit him. He could hear Toran's screams for Cleo's name, for his desire for them to stop, but he knew how it was going to end. Sol moved in as Cleo threw her last punch and knocked her arm up with his. She then staggered and her chest was left open. Without hesitation he plunged his sword deep into her chest. "NOOOOOOOOO!!" Toran screamed as he blasted through the last demon only to see Cleo's body fall to the ground. He rushed over to Cleo's body and knelt down, trying to cast several healing spells. None of them worked, her wound wouldn't close, and he was close to tears.

Sol paid him no attention and instead looked for Vulcan who by this time disappeared. _"Damn! The bastard must have teleported out of here while I was fighting."_ Sol had a look of frustration on his face which then turned to sadness after he looked at Cleo's body. He looked around and saw that the demons were starting to disappear. _"Must be because their master left."_ Sol thought as everyone who was fighting began to gather at the center of the room.

"T-toran…" Cleo opened her eyes. "Cleo?" Toran looked to see Cleo opening her eyes. "Cleo it's going to be alright! We can-" Toran stopped as Cleo began to reach for him. "Toran I…" Cleo's hand began to dissolve into the air. "Cleo!" Toran yelled desperately but it was no use. The last thing he saw was Cleo's smiling face dissolving into dust.

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**5 days later**

Toran was sitting on the steps of the school as numerous craftsmen ran past him carrying several tools. "This is gonna cost a pretty penny." Toran looked to see Toran and Diana standing next to him. "Leaving already?" Toran asked as he stood up. "Yeah. I think it's about time we left." Sol replied. An awkward silence presented itself. "Hey." Sol said with a serious look. "Even if I hadn't…you know… killed Cleo she wouldn't have lived for very long anyway. Doll's usually don't last that much longer then a year or 2." Toran looked down for a bit. "I know it sounds like I'm just trying to justify what I did but when her time finally did come, it only would've been more painful." Toran shook his head. "It's alright, I don't blame you. In actuality I knew something was wrong about Cleo the entire time she was here. The only reason I hadn't done anything was because I wasn't completely certain about what was wrong. In the process of finding out I grew to like her more and more." Toran looked into the distance. "That's also why I also think this was better for her. I don't think she wanted to live her life out as someone's pawn. Even worse, a pawn of a man like that." An image of Vulcan flashed through his mind and Toran clenched his fists. Sol simply smiled and walked down the stairs. "If you need anything just ask." Diana said and placed a reassuring hand on Toran's shoulder and ran to catch up with Sol. "Wait!" Toran called out. The pair stopped and looked at Toran. "Could I… Could I join up with you?" Toran asked. "You sure kid?" Sol looked at Toran with curiosity. "Yes! I've done a little bit of research on the Fomors and I think that this isn't going to stop unless someone does something about it. And from what you said, This isn't the only time this happened. I want to make sure nothing like this happens again and I can't do that sitting on my ass in a damn classroom!" Toran yelled out. Sol stared at him at simply turned and walked towards the street. He stopped and looked up towards the sky. "Get ready. We'll wait at the gate that leads to Gairech hills for 2 hours only so you better hurry." Toran's face lit up and he bowed. "Thanks!" He rushed off to pack his things. In 1 hour Toran was ready and in another he was already at the gate and the trio set off toward Gairech hill. "So let me guess." Diana said. "Our next stop is Bangor." Sol Simply smiled as he looked up at the deep blue sky.

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**2 days after Sol, Diana, and Toran left**

A man in sparkling white armor with a blue cross painted on the chest walked along the main street of Dunbarton, he had short black hair, slightly pale skin and blood red eyes that would look like they were glowing if you saw them in the dark, he looked no older than 19. He was followed by at least a dozen knights, 2 of which were dressed slightly differently than the others. One was a woman in white robes and the same blue cross imprinted on the left breast of the robe. The other a man with a Bow and arrow set strapped to his back and some light chain mail with the same blue cross printed on the shoulder pads. The lead knight stopped in front of Nerys's shop. The tall woman stepped forward. "Can I help you?" The knight stiffened a little. "Yes. I was wondering if you have seen this man." The knight pulled out a scroll that had a well done drawing of a certain white haired traveler printed on the page.

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Well there's chapter 3! Sorry if you waited a little longer than expected. Since it's almost summer, school has been a raging storm of essays, tests and projects.

Personally I thought the death of Cleo was done a bit cheesily so I'm still kinda dissatisfied with this chapter but I still like it. And here's a bit of an explanation on another unique weapon (although it is still slightly unimaginative)

**Toran's Staff:** Toran's staff is long, black, and made entirely out of steel. The very top has a semi large disc which had four jewels attached which represent 4 different types of elemental magic (take a quick guess to what those might be.) Not the most imaginative weapon but it's all I've got.

Now on to chapter 4!

PS: Not sure if there are any kind of barrier spells in Mabinogi but it wouldn't make much sense if there weren't.


	4. Chapter 4

I had a little bit of trouble deciding which storyline to put in chapter 4 since I made up several different ones but I decided on this one so enjoy. I also decided to change Sol's age from 18 to 20 because I think it fits better with what I'm trying to do.

PS: in case this chapter takes longer than expected to come up I apologize. I would also like to apologize to godofmadness43 about accidentally taking his character design for my character Vulcan. When I made him I hadn't read your story or knew about the hell knight so once again sorry.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 4: Pair**

_Luna closed the book she was reading with a sad sigh as she looked out the window. The library was especially empty today, the only people in the room were her, the librarian and a few mages who would appear from behind a book shelf, glance at her and disappear behind another shelf. She looked out the window and across the trees and past the mountains looming in the distance. _"So ridiculous."_ she thought when suddenly a clang was heard on the table in front of her. There was a small white plate with some bread and a square of butter on the side. "I swear every time I see you you're either reading a book or staring out a window." Luna looked up to see a young man about 15 staring down at her with some bread crumbs around his mouth as he finished chewing the last piece of bread he was eating. The sun seemed to reflect off of his white hair. "Sol…" Luna stared at him as if he was a stranger. "Is something wrong miss Luna?" Sol inquired, starting to feel uncomfortable. Luna looked out the window again and was silent. After a few seconds she finally spoke. "Sol, What do you think of this world?" Luna asked not looking back. "What do you mean?" Sol asked. Luna looked down at the bread she was given, the butter was starting to melt. "This world's history is plagued with nothing but war and violence, most of which were caused by very trivial reasons." Luna's hands clenched. "Sometimes, the foolishness of humanity astounds me." Sol looked down on the table and saw the title of the book she was reading: _Great battles of History. _Sol looked next to it and saw a stack of books with similar topics and understood what Luna was getting at. He grabbed a chair and sat across the table from Luna and looked at her. "In truth, I think this world is a very unforgiving place, and humans are probably the most horrible creatures to inhabit it." Luna looked down Sol moved back in his chair. "But, They can also be the most magnificent. Although most of the time if one is backed into a corner the first thing they think about is how they can save themselves, there are always those who remain innocent, who will always do what's right. And besides, if the world was that horrible then the goddess wouldn't bother protecting us right?" Luna looked up and saw that he was grinning. "I see…" Luna stood up and walked towards the door but stopped and turned around. "Sol. Thanks." She turned and left. Sol glanced at the stack and picked the top book and flipped through it. He stood up and walked towards the door. _"Why was she reading this stuff anyway?"_ He sighed as he opened the door._

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Diana sat down under a tree and relaxed as she took in the scenery. The group had been traveling for a whole day and have just set up camp. The sun was beginning to set and provided the perfect lighting for the view. She could see a small stream running in a nearby patch of trees, a pack of wolves darting into the bushes and the occasional traveler who sometimes waved hello from the trail below. The peace was interrupted by a loud crash. "What the heck?" Diana turned around to see Toran and Sol tangled in what should have been a tent. "I told you it was supposed to go the other way!" Toran yelled at Sol. "Hey! I'm not taking advice from some shut in who never leaves his school." Sol yelled back. "What are you talking about? I've left campus dozens of times, this one included." Toran struggled and freed himself from the wreckage. "idiots." Diana whispered under her breath as she let the 2 argue and continued to look into the distance.

Diana felt another presence next to her and looked to her right. Sol was sitting next to her. "So why did you specifically want to set up camp here?" Sol asked. Diana looked at Sol and then back out across the fields. "When I was still in that group with Tara this was one of the first places that we visited." Diana had a distant look in her eye. "I see…" Sol looked with her. "Hey what happened with Toran?" Diana asked. Sol pointed his thumb behind him and Diana looked. Toran had decided to set up the camp himself and got tangled in an even worse mess. Diana sighed and went over to help their latest traveling companion.

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"Damn it!" Vulcan punched the wall in front of him, he was standing in a large training room with several target dummies and practice weapons strewn about. " the little bastard proved to be a little tougher than I anticipated." Vulcan swore under his breath. The battle with Sol cost him one of his more effective hideouts.

"It's not like you to get so worked up over one loss. I mean is this as bad as that time in albey dungeon and those other warriors." a rather relaxed and smooth voice rang out across the large room. Vulcan turned to see a young man wearing black painted leather plate mail all over his body. He had a very pale complexion, blue eyes that didn't seem to have any pupils short black hair, an arrogant grin and pointy ears that immediately informed anyone who looked at him that he was an elf.

"What do you want Diran?" Vulcan asked and glared at his comrade. "Just to talk, nothing more." The elf took a seat on a nearby stool and looked behind him. "Tanya! Hurry it up! And don't say the 'I'm a giant so I'm slower than you.' excuse!" Immediately large footsteps could be heard and out of the shadows was an imposing female giant. She had short dark blur hair, brown eyes, muscular legs(although to be fair everything else looked extremely ripped also) and a rather serious look. She wore spiked grey armor all over and 2 large axes strapped to her back which only served to make her more intimidating than a giant already would have been without armor or weapons. "You don't have to be in such a rush all the time Diran." Diran simply shrugged his shoulders and walked passed Vulcan.

"So who beat you into the dust this time?" Vulcan glared at Diran. "Some traveler and his friends." Vulcan could sense that both Diran and Tanya were holding back a burst of laughter at his discription. "But Lord Cichol specifically ordered me to take one of them alive. It was some punk with white hair and blue eyes and wore all black clothing and armor, his name was Sol." Vulcans look became one that was lost in thought. _"Now that I think about it, the white hair and all black clothing sort of reminds me of…"_ An image of a young girl with a long black dress and long white hair tied into two long ponytails and deep azure eyes. "Nao…" Vulcan muttered. "Did you say something?" Diran asked however Vulcan wasn't listening. He was thinking about a very alarming possibility. "Could this kid and Nao be connected somehow? Or is it just looks?"

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"_W-where am I?" A young boy was lying down on his back on a white platform, blood surrounding him. As he stared up he could see birds flying around in circles. "Am I dead?" He turned his head and saw a young girl with white hair with bangs covering her eyes, and a long black dress holding out her hand and with a gentle smile on her face. The boy reached out to grab it and as he did he was pulled up and suddenly everything changed. When the boy stood up his no longer on the platform but in a spotlight wearing knight's armor with a black Katana strapped to his waist. The hand he was holding onto was now connected to a young girl in a whit dress with long black hair covering her face. The boy smiled but was soon startled by a gust of wind, the wind blew away the girls hair and revealed a horribly burned and scared face with half of the bone being exposed. The boy's expression turned to horror as the girl opened her mouth and lunged toward him while whispering. "Sol…"_

Sol immediately sat up in his tent. He was breathing heavily, seating and his eyes made him look as though he had just taken some kind of drug. He held his head in his hands and calmed down a bit. "It's times like these that I think I need to see a shrink."

He smiled briefly but it soon turned into a frown and clenched his fists. "Hey!" Sol looked up to see Diana ripping open his tent door. "Do you mind! I'm having a moment here!" Sol joked. "No smart mouth for now, I can hear some fighting in the distance, I think someone needs help." Diana then ran off and Sol hastily tried to put on his clothes. He clamped on steel pads on his arms, legs and a new black chest plate he had bought back in Dunbarton. He then grabbed his Katana, swung on his cloak and ran after Diana.

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When Sol caught up with them he saw Toran and Diana lying on their stomachs on a nearby hill and immediately joined them. "What's going on?" Sol whispered to Toran. Toran handed him some binoculars that he was using. Sol looked through and saw a huge fight between a large group of Kobold Bandits and 2 other individuals. "Whoa." Sol looked down to see a small yet fast young woman darting from bandit to bandit with each one falling down in a bloody pulp and a hug guy with a mace whose spikes seemed to be twirling like drills. The two of them seemed to be defending some kind of large, man made hole. "You think they're mercs?" Diana asked. "It's highly possible but I think you were wrong in suspecting they need help. The bandits are retreating" Sol said not taking his eyes off the spectacle in front of him. The trio stood up and continued to watch as the duo down below walked toward the structure. "I think I'll check it out!" Sol tossed the binoculars to Toran who almost dropped them and then slid down the hill. "Hey wait! We need to pack up the camp first!" Toran called angrily at Sol who was already to far down to hear (or care about) what Toran was saying.

"What the hell?" The young woman heard noises from a nearby hill and saw a young boy sliding down while others were heading towards the hills further behind. She had pointy ears, light brown skin, shoulder length black hair tied into a short ponytail and clear green eyes. She was wearing light orange shirt and green fatigue pants with steel pads all over her and had steel gloves on her hands with strange markings on them "Who is that?" An extremely larger man approached from behind his partner who was obviously a giant. He had brown hair in a buzz cut hair style, squinted eyes, an overly muscular build common with his kind and pale skin. He was wearing dark green fatigues with black painted steel gloves and a huge spiked mace strapped to his back with a disc shaped blade.

As Sol descended to the bottom he ran towards the 2 warriors and saw that one was an elf and the other, a giant. _"Aren't their 2 races apposed or something?"_ Sol approached the two and greeted them. "A giant and an elf working together? Now I've officially seen everything." Sol extended an arm and smiled. The elf girl stepped forward and shook it. "We get that a lot. The name's Lydia by the way." As she let go she gestured her thumb to her partner behind her. "That's Rudianos. But I call him Rudi for short." The giant merely nodded. "I see. I'm Sol Invic-" Sol was immediately hit in the back of the head by a small iron plate. He clutched the back of his head and looked behind him to see an exhausted Toran and a very pissed off Diana.

"Why didn't you help out!? Me and Toran over there had to clean up everything, even your tent. By the way, you really need to learn to organize you luggage better, it looked like a garbage dump in there. Right Toran!?" Diana looked in Torans direction only to see him struggling to stand up. "Can't… stand… too … Heavy…" Toran gave way to the ridiculously large bag and collapsed. "Oh No!" Diana rushed over to help. "Excuse me for a moment." Sol bowed and then rushed over to help his 2 traveling companions. Lydia giggled slightly at the spectacle before her.

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"So you're a bodyguard service?" Diana said as she sipped some tea and using Sol as a chair. "Yes, we've been doing this for about 3 years now." Lydia smiled seemingly uncaring of the young traveler being used as a cushion. "So what kind of job are you doing now?" Toran chimed in. "You see that cluster of housed back there?" Lydia nodded in the direction of what appeared to be a small village. There is a large mining site in the center and we've been hired to protect it until their finished." Lydia sipped her tea. "Have you been doing this from the beginning?" Diana asked. "Of course not! that would mean we would have been here for at least 2 years! We are probably the 5th service to be hired out here." Lydia clarified. "I think I heard of this place. There's supposed to be some huge statue that was discovered and people from all over the continent have been traveling her to see it. It's supposed to be some kind of ancient relic from a lost civilization right?" Sol said from under Diana. Diana kick him hard on the ribs. "Who said you could talk?" Sol merely grumbled. "So how do an elf and a giant become partners? Last I checked, your races were supposed to be in some kind of rivalry or something." Toran asked. "Well, when were born, we didn't know that at the time. My family and his family came here from some far off continent and settled somewhere around here." Lydia said. "They met with Rudi's family not too long after that and decided to try and coexist with each other. A few hundred years later I was born and I met Rudis when I was 12 and we've been friends ever since." Lydia concluded. "Why did you leave your family then?" Diana asked. "It's not all that complicated. I just wanted to see the world and Rudi said he wouldn't let me go alone so he came along too. And well, her we are." Lydia finished. "Such a heartwarming story." Sol said in mock compassion. He was then kicked in the ribs.

"We should probably head back now, would you like to come as well?" Lydia offered as she stood up. "Yes thank you." Diana stood up and bowed. "Finally!" Sol stood up and stretched but was nearly crushed by an incredibly huge bag. "What the-!" Sol struggled to keep to his feet. "You owe me." Toran said as he raced up to follow Diana and the others. Sol looked around and saw no one who would help him. "Damn it!" He then shuffled after his friends.

"Whoa…" Toran said as he looked down the large hole created by the miners in the excavation site. There were several people running along the wooden walkways, several scholars on the bottom examining the statue and several carts going in and out of tunnels carrying supplies or valuable minerals. "This is amazing! I knew this was supposed to be a big find but I never imagined it would draw this much attention!" Toran looked up and down the excavated part of the statue. "Or how big it was." He finished.

Just then, Sol managed to drop his huge load next to Toran and collapsed. "Why do we have so much stuff?" Sol said gasping for air. "That's your stuff me and Diana only packed the essentials." Toran said gesturing to the bags strapped to his and Diana's backs. Sol merely shrugged and got to his feet. "So this is the famous dragon statue I've been hearing about." Sol looked down and examined the area. "Some of the mages believe that it holds some kind of magical secret." Lydia said as she and Rudianos walked along the catwalks and down towards the bottom. "Are you coming or what?" She called out. Diana and Toran immediately ran down to get a closer look at the relic. "Sol! Hurry up!" Diana called but stopped and stared with a hint of concern. Sol was turned away from the statue and was staring with fierce concentration in the direction of Dunbarton. He saw a few shapes moving in the distance. _"That can't be good."_ He thought. His thoughts were interrupted by Diana's calls. "Sol!" He turned around and saw Diana waving at him to come down. "Alright, Alright! I'm coming!" As Sol descended he took one last glare at the hills in the distance.

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"Nao!? You think this kid had a connection to Nao?" Diran exclaimed at Vulcan's theory. "To put it simply yes." Vulcan replied. "What are you basing this on? Just his looks?" Tanya calmly inquired. Vulcan sat up straighter. "Partially. However when I fought him in Dunbarton there seemed to be some kind of strange, sort of familiar, aura around him. It felt like I was fighting one of us." Vulcan's expression turned grim. "Well… Assuming your theory is correct, this could explain as to why Lord Cichol takes such an interest in the kid." Diran said leaning against the wall. "Where are they now?" Diran asked. "According to some recent reports, my scouts say that they are at the dragon statue excavation site in Gairech hill" Vulcan said. "Well then what are we waiting for!? Let's pay them a little visit." Diran began to walk towards the exit and Tanya followed after him. "Hold on a minute! We haven't received orders from Lord Cichol yet!" Vulcan called after them. "Then stay here. You're not really needed anyway. Besides it's just a simple visit." Diran said as he and Tanya disappeared behind the door. Vulcan was once again alone in the large training room. He gritted his teeth. "Damn it!" Vulcan kicked a nearby stool in frustration.

Diran and Tanya walked down a lengthy hallway and stopped at a doorway which led to the barracks. Diran entered alone and saw at least 2 dozen or so recruits mostly human and elf running about but he could see 3 giants conversing in the corner. Almost immediately, however, they all stopped what they were doing as soon as Diran opened the door. "Me and Tanya are going on a little errand, if anyone wants to come they may do so." With that Diran turned and walked outside and continued down the halway with Tanya. Diran turned his head and saw 6 lightly armored individuals following him. Diran grinned and turned to the right and soon entered into a large circular hall with a strange pattern drawn into the center. Diran and the rest quickly rushed into the center and the markings began to glow. Diran imagined Gairech hill and they were immediately engulfed in a flash of light.

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**Outside Dunbarton**

"Well that lead was a complete bust!" A large group of at least a dozen white armored knights were on the trail that lead to Dugald isle. "We travel all the way here from Emain Macha and all we get is a 'sorry I haven't seen him'" The complaining knight wore high class leather armor, a bow and arrow set strapped to his back and had a visor covering his eyes. His spiky silver hair swayed in the wind.

"Stow it Kai. Your complaining isn't going to help us find this guy so shut up." A young girl with short black hair, brown eyes and dressed n white robes with a blue cross stitched on her shoulder and a large spear strapped to her back responded to her colleague.

"Oh I'm sorry Sera, I just don't like it when I nearly fall off a cliff 3 times a day just to know that the person my brigade is searching for isn' even in the area!" Kai yelled back. "Besides, didn't that chick. Nerys was it?. Anyway, didn't she seem a little suspicious to you? It's like she was hiding something."

"Enough!" The knight at the front of the group yelled at his arguing subordinates, his red eyes almost seemed to be glowing. The 2 of them immediately fell silent "My apologies captain Soma." Sera said. After a long pause the group finally resumed movement. "It doesn't matter if one person refuses to give us information, even if we don't find him ourselves I have a feeling he will come to us eventually. Now hurry up! The logging camp was another recent location to where our subject was sighted." The large group immediately sped up.

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**Dragon excavation site**

"Welcome to the excavation site! My name is Seumas and I'm in charge of the mining operations here!" Sol looked over the man in front of him with slight apathy. Seumas had brown hair a wide smile spread across his face and had had a very tan skin, whether it was from time in the sun or from the dust flying around, Sol couldn't tell and neither would surprise him.

"Pleased to meet you! My name is Diana." Diana stepped forward to introduce herself and also began to introduce Sol and Toran. Sol apathetically walked away from the group and towards the statue. "Sol?" Diana called out to him but received no answer.

Lydia and Rudianos exchanged looks. "What's the matter?" Sol continued to stare, his eyes seemed to change from blue to yellow. "Sol!" Sol finally snapped back to reality, his eyes turning to normal.

"Sorry… I just felt a little light headed. Could I lie down somewhere?" Seumas pointed to a makeshift hut on the side of the cliffs. "Thanks." Sol staggered towards the hut. "What was that about?" Toran asked Diana. "I'm not sure. But I have a really bad feeling about this. every time he gets like this something bad usually happens." Diana said in an exhausted tone. As she finished her sentence a large light source was seen in the forest in the distance. Diana sighed "I knew it." Lydia and Rudianos immediately ran up the stairs to the surface. "Me and Rudi will check it out!" Rudianos tensed slightly when he heard "Rudi". When the duo disappeared over the cliff Toran turned to Diana. "Rudi?" Diana merely shrugged. (Me: who didn't see that nickname coming?)

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"Hm… We are a few miles off course. I should fix that teleported soon." Diran calmly stood in the middle of the crater made by his teleportation spell. "is everyone alright?" The knights and Tanya all replied yes. "Then lets get going!" As soon as he finished another flash of light exploded behind him. Diran went to inspect the phenomenon only to find Vulcan coughing in the middle of a crater. "So you decided to come after all!" Diran exclaimed.

"Like I'd let you have all the glory." Vulcan said stepping out of the crater and dusting off some dirt and grime. Diran turned and rejoined the rest of his team with Vulcan following behind. **"So what's the plan."** Vulcan asked as he put on his helmet.

"Have fun." a black aura surrounded Diran's arm and energy shot out of it towards a nearby tree. Just before the tree burst into flames 2 figures dashed away from it. "We've been followed. By a couple of our Kinsman no less." Diran said to Tanya. Tanya merely grunted and pulled out her 2 axes. "Vulcan take the recruits to the dragon statue excavation sight. We'll handle these meddlers." Diran said as black aura began to surround Diran's hands and feet and soon solidified into armor. Vulcan nodded and ran off along with the other black armored knights. When Diran was sure they were far enough away he and Tanya stood side by side. "You can come out now! Let's make this an even fight!"

Lydia and Rudianos leaped from whatever hiding spot they chose and stood adjacent from their enemies. Rudianos facing Tanya and Lydia against Diran. "I suppose I should start with what scheme you black knights have cooked up. What are you planning?" Lydia said as she and her partner readied into a combat stance.

"Oh you know, just a friendly neighborhood visit." Diran joked. "But none of that really matters, you'll all meet the same end anyway. Maybe if you impress me, I'll give you a straight answer." Diran then launched himself at Lydia and delivered a series of lightning fast kicks.

Lydia leapt back while blocking most of Diran's initial assault but was forced to leap onto a tree branch when Tanya almost split her in two. "Grraaaahh!" Rudianos slammed his mace down and fended off the two black armored assailants. Rudianos then pulled a trigger on the handle and the spikes on his bace began to spin. "A drill mace? Nice!" Tanya commented as she twirled her axes in her hands. Rudianos rushed towards Tanya and their weapons grinded against each other, sparks flying as Rudi's drill mace spun against Tanya's axes.

Meanwhile, Diran and Lydia engaged in a furious fist fight that moved them to another small clearing in the forest. Diran delivered a nearly endless stream of punches and jabs as Lydia struggled to evade them and losing ground as she did so. She ducked as Diran attempted to spin kick her and went for an upper cut. Diran stepped back, just barely dodging her counter attack. Diran then dug both hands into the ground and pulled upward bringing a chunk of earth with him. He then threw it with great force towards Lydia who broke through with her fist and with blinding speed closed the distance with Diran and smashed her fist hard into his face. Diran spun around as the punch continued to push through and, as Lydia continue forward due to momentum, then sidestepped and grabbed Lydia by the arm and threw her against a tree. Diran then punched his fist together and a black aura surrounded his fists. He punched forward and a ball of energy shot out towards Lydia who just barely rolled away in time. She then cart wheeled to the right to avoid a second attack and jumped to avoid a third. Still in the air, Lydia's left gauntlet glowed yellow and as she landed she dug her fist hard into the ground. Immediately stone pillars shot out of the ground and struck Diran in the gut. As Diran flew across the field he coughed up some blood and bounced as he landed with a thud on the ground. "N-Not bad…" Diran staggered up and clutched his injured chest and felt along his side. "3, 4, 5 ribs broken! Nice job, one more rib broken than the last one! I'd clap if it didn't hurt so bad." Diran said through gritted teeth. "Now answer me! What are you doing here?" Lydia demanded. "Well a deal is a deal. We're here to give a man named Sol a message, a welcoming party to this little game of ours." Diran said still clutching his side. "_Sol? What does a group of black knights want with that weirdo?_ What game do you mean?" Lydia asked. " That's a question for another time." there was a cracking sound heard as Diran's ribs snapped back into place due to a healing spell. "You impressed me once, Now let's up the ante a little." Lydia saw a black feather flutter by her head. Diran was encased in a dome of Dark energy which cleared away to reveal him in a black cloak with feathers lining the sides. His face was now covered by a hood but you could still make out his piercing eyes and a sinister grin. "you're a…" Lydia stammered. **"A falcon" **Diran finished and rushed towards her.

Rudianos's Mace clanged against Tanya's axes for what felt like an eternity. His arms felt numb because of the vibrations. He slammed his mace down on Tanya's head only to meet the metal of her axes once again. "_This is getting annoying!"_ Tanya broke off from Rudi's mace and charged forward with amazing speed and swung both her axes in a sideways motion. Rudi stepped back just in time but his shirt now had a large cut along the center. "Damn!" He cursed. "Finally he speaks!" Tanya said as she attempted to slice off an arm only to smash into the ground. She then leapt into the air and a purple light surrounded her axes. She swung each axe at least a dozen times and a flurry of energy blasts came crashing down around Rudi who struggled to dodge them but inevitably took several hits. Two in the arm, three in the leg and one on the shoulder. "Aaahhh!" Rudianos knelt down using his mace for support. "Give up yet?" Tanya mocked. "Never!" The drills on Rudi's mace spun to life and he charged her with blinding speed and smashed it against her right shoulder with a satisfying crack before she could react. "Gyaahhh!" Tanya let go of her axe so that she was only holding one. Her right arm dangled at and odd angle. "How's that?" Rudi chuckled. A scream was heard in the are where Diran and Lydia fought. "Lydia!?" Rudi turned his head in the direction of the scream. "Sounds like my partner is getting serious." Tanya grinned as her coat began to rip, her skin turned a grayish blue color and black fur began to rip through her coat. "A… A savage beast?" Rudianos stared in horror as Tanya grew much larger than him. **"That's right!" **Her grin showed her fangs as she charged forward.

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The excavation sight was filled with activity as several people began to pack up their equipment before the trouble in the distance found it's way here. "Everyone remain calm. Don't panic! Gather your gear and return to Bangor! We can return here and resume work once the commotion has died down." Seumas was yelling from a catwalk near the entrance. "do you think there's enough time to get everyone away safely?" He asked Diana. "Everyone? I'm not sure but we should be able to at least get most of them out." Diana responded. "I'll wake up Sol." Before Toran could leace a scream was heard. The trio looked around to see 5 miners with arrows stuck to their bodies. "Oh no…" Diana said. As she said that 5 black armored figures leapt into the pit and began cause all sorts of chaos. "Damnit where did they come from?" Toran yelled as he cast a spell at a knight who was about to strike down one of the mages. **"Where is Sol!?"** Vulcan soon joined the fray and smashed apart a support beam. "Oh great, It's that guy!" Toran said pulling out his staff. Diana leapt down ward and readied her bow and loaded blue tipped arrows into it. **"Where is Sol?" **Vulcan asked again. As soon as he said that Lydia landed in between the 3 combatants with cuts and bruises all over her body. "What the? Lydia!?" Toran exclaimed. "T-toran…" She muttered. Rudianos also fell down the pit and landed in a pile of lumber.

"**Vulcan! How slow can you be!?"** Diran landed on a wooden pole that was sticking out of the ground. "You did this!" Diana fired a volley of arrows at Diran who effortlessly dodged them. The areas that were hit were immediately frozen. **"enchanted arrows? That sounds promising!"** Diran grinned as he landed on the ground. **"Tanya? Where are you!?"** Diran yelled. **"As I always say, you don't always have to be in a rush."** Tanya crashed down on a small wooden hut. "Uh…" Toran was speechless. "That's where Sol was sleeping…" Tanya looked down. **"Problem solved then."** Tanya was then blasted into the air and landed on top of a cart full of coal. Sol staggered up, yawning as he did so. "What did I miss?" Sol looked around to see Tanya in a mining cart, Rudi and Lydia on the ground, Vulcan and Diran poised for attack, and Diana, Toran Seumas and several dumbstruck miners looking straight at him. "What?" Diran burst with laughter and Vulcan charged ahead. **"Sol! This revenge for last time!"** Vulcan slashed his sword at Sol (try saying that 5 times real fast) only to strike air as Sol jumped towards Lydia using Vulcan as a stepping stone. Lydia by now was staggering to get up and Sol helped her. "Can you stand?" He asked. "Yes." Lydia clutched her shoulder. "I'll be fine." Lydia showed a confident grin. A grunting noise was heard and Rudianos exploded out of the pile of wood he had landed on and shook off some of the scraps. **"Tough little bastards huh?" **Diran commented. Sol, Diana, Toran, Lydia, and Rudianos lined up as did the 5 black knights. Vulcan stood up and was about to charge in when Diran stopped him. **"Not yet. I want to see how this plays out."** As the 2 stood and watched Tanya had managed to free herself from the mining cart.

Sol battled the center soldier and easily knocked away his sword and diced him in seconds. Diana leapt into the air and fired 3 freeze arrows into the torso of the black knight that she fought and he was soon turned into an ice sculpture. Toran blocked several blows from his knight who pulled back a little too far and gave Toran the opening he needed. He jammed his staff into the knights throat and channeled a fire spell which reduced the knight to ashes in his own armor. Lydia blocked a strike from her opponent who recoiled back and was soon subjugated to a furious flurry of kicks, Lydia's legs were almost invisible as dents seemed to appear out of nowhere. The kicks grew faster and faster until it finally stopped, at which point the knight was a crumpled bloody piece of metal. The opponent Rudianos was facing was (not surprisingly) smashed under his mace.

"**Very impressive."** Diran stepped forward to challenge Sol. **"Hold on Diran! He's mine!"** Vulcan protested. **"Oh don't get so emotional. I can't let you have the hero all to yourself now can I?"** Diran said. **"But-!"** Vulcan was about to protest but was kicked into the wall. **"Now that that's done, why don't we get started?" **Sol simply nodded and split his sword and signaled for his friends to help the miners and scholars escape. As they complied Sol felt the lightheadedness he had when he stared at the statue earlier. _"Damn it! Not now!"_ Sol did his best to steady himself but he still moved a bit off.

Despite this he charged forward with insane speed and held his swords in an x pattern and slashed as he closed in. Diran leaped into the air, his nails growing into talons. As he landed he slashed at Sol's back, blood splattering on a nearby rock. "Gyahh!" Sol turned and brought one of his swords up and blocked Diran's next strike and with the other tried to cut through his shoulder but to no avail. Diran leaped back and tried again with each strike getting stronger and stronger. To Sol, the world around him started to blur. _"Crap! What's going on!?"_ Diran eventually knocked Sol's blades away and kicked him at the dragon statue. Sol crashed into the base of the statue and fell on his back staring into the dragon's eyes again. **"Are you sure you're the one who defeated Vulcan back in Dunbarton?"** Diran said walking over to Sol who still stared at the dragon's eyes. A light buzzing had developed in the back of his head. "Damn it… what's going on?" Sol muttered. The buzzing grew louder and soon turned into booming. He yelled and clutched his head in agony. As Diran saw this a chill ran down his spine. _**"Damn! I better end this now!**_" Diran ran towards Sol, his claws poised to kill. Just then, Sol's eyes turned yellow and his pupils turned into narrow slits similar to a demon's eye. Sol yelled, but what resounded was the roar of a beast. Diran was blown away by a shockwave, Tanya dug herself in to resist it and Vulcan was awoken by it.

Diana was helping the workers away when she heard the giant roar. "what the hell was that!?" Toran asked. Diana looked back in worry. "Sol…"

Diran stood up and saw Sol with glowing yellow eyes, an insane expression on his face and a dark aura swirling around him. _"__**This is bad! This is extremely bad!"**_Diran braced himself as he was hit by a shockwave of energy created by Sol. The white haired traveler roared again as the dark aura engulfed him completely and molded around his skin.

Sol was covered from head to toe in some kind of inky black substance, black smoke streaming off of him. Diran could see some kind of pattern on him, and there was a vabue shape of armor but he couldn't tell. But still, he knew exactly what he was looking at. **"An Infra Black…"** Diran whispered. He turned to Vulcan who staggered up and yelled. **"Vulcan! Why the hell didn't you yell us this punk was a black knight as well!!!?"** Diran then turned to Sol who had no resemblance of who he was a second ago. **"What do you mean he's a black knight?"** Vulcan clamored up and saw what his comrade meant. **"Perhaps we should retreat!"** Tanya said. **"No! He may look like an Infra Black but he still isn't at full power. If we run now this will only come back to haunt us later."** Diran and Vulcan readied their weapons while Tanya reverted back to her regular form and decided to step back. **"Grrraaaahhhhh!!!"** Diran and Vulcan rushed towards Sol only to get knocked back. Vulcan crashed into a catwalk and Diran soared in the air. Sol leaped up and proceeded to pummel him as he descended. Vulcan charged towards him but Sol punched a hand into the ground and a black pillar shot out of the ground and blasted Vulcan back into the same catwalk. Diran staggered up and attempted to slash at Sol but was blocked and Sol Grabbed him by the face and began to squeeze hard. Sol then slammed Diran into the ground and threw him in Tanya's direction. When Diran landed at Tanya's feet, he reverted back to his regular form. Sol's arms then twisted and turned into scythe like appendages. "Crap…" Diran cursed. "Graaahhh!" Vulcan jumped in from behind and slashed at Sol's back, creating a huge gash. "Got you!" Vulcan cheered, but his expression quickly turned to horror as the wound quickly healed itself. Sol turned to Vulcan and charged. Vulcan was knocked back and was slashed across the chest in an X pattern. He fell to the ground unconscious. "I told you." Tanya said. Diran cringed and staggered up. "Fine… Let's go." Diran muttered a chant and He, Tanya and the unconscious Vulcan teleported away. Sol roared again and black tendrils lashed out in all direction destroying almost everything.

Meanwhile, Diana and the rest of the group was running back to check on Sol, having already sent the rest of the group back to Bangor. When they arrived, all they saw was a black figure destroying everything. "What the hell is that?" Toran said. "It's going to destroy the entire mining site at this rate! We have to stop it!" Lydia and Rudianos Leapt down but were smashed into a pile of rocks. Toran and Diana watched in horror. "Hold on…." Diana watched the creature closely. There was something familiar about it. "Sol?" Diana whispered. "What?" Toran asked. "That's Sol!" Dian skidded down into the pit with Toran calling after her.

When Diana reached the bottom she almost got hit by one of the tendrils. "Sol! Is that you?!" Diana yelled. The black creature turned it's head and bared it's fangs. "Sol it's me, Diana! Don't you remember!?" Diana was, again, almost hit by one of Sol's Tendrils. "Wake up! Sol!" Diana called.

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"_Where am I?" Sol thought he looked around. There were dozens of people in strange clothes everywhere. The blue sky was almost eclipse by tremendously tall buildings. Strange metal contraptions zoomed past him and occasionally stopped and more people came out. "What is this place." Sol then realized that he was no longer in his body but rather a younger version of himself, about 6 or 7 years old. "What the?" He heard a voice calling him. It was a young woman with brown hair in a red dress. She waved to him and called his name again. Sol didn't know why but he started walking, and then running towards her. When he finally caught up she held his hand in his and they walked towards what appeared to be an empty road with little to none of the metal things he saw zooming around. He saw a box stuck to a metal pole with a red hand and another large building which seemed to still be under construction. Immediately the hand turned into a person walking an he and the woman began to walk across the road but then he heard a snapping noise. Sol looked up and saw that a steel beam was falling towards him and the woman. Without thinking he pushed the woman away. The last thing he saw was the woman's horrified look as he was crushed._

_He was surrounded by white blood surrounding him. "Sol…" Sol looked around and saw a girl in a black dress, with white hair and blue eyes just like him. She held out her hand and he took it when he grabbed it, he was in his regular body and the girl once again changed to another girl dressed in white and had long black hair. Only this time she had a normal face, she smiled gently and whispered in his ear. "Not yet."_

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"Sol!" Diana was now face to face with the creature that was once Sol. "It's alright now. Everything's alright, so please come back to us." Diana said softly as she embraced him. Almost immediately the attacks stopped. The creature opened his mouth. "Diana…." The darkness that engulfed him dissipated and Sol knelt down with Diana holding him.

Sol's eyes fluttered open. "What did I miss?" Sol croaked out. "Nothing much." Diana smiled gently as she laid his head down on her lap. The last thing he saw was everyone crowding around him as he fell asleep.

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**2 days later**

Sol and the others had managed to rent a few rooms at an inn in Bangor. Sol seemed to forget that he had caused massive destruction and set the miners back at least a couple of months. However, despite the massive debt, months of progress lost, the fact that Sol would need at least a week for recovery. Everything was peaceful.

"So you have absolutely no memory of what happened that day?" Toran said unconvinced. "Yup. Up until the part where I was smashed against the statue everything goes black." Sol said sitting up in bed and sipping tea. "And how are we supposed to make up the debt we owe to the town for the excavation site?" Diana asked. "Take it out of my bank account. You'd be surprised how much I have saved up." Sol said taking another sip. The group sighed. "Where do we go from here?" Lydia asked. "We?" Diana inquired. "I have to pay that one guy back for beating me, and from what he told me, he seems to have a special interest in you three so if me and Rudi want payback, we'll have to stick with you guys. "Great, the more the merrier." Toran said smiling. "So anyway. Where to next?" Lydia asked again. Sol looked out the window. "I was thinking we could go to Emain macha when I'm done recovering. But I don't know if I'll have time." Sol said, his expression grim. "What do you mean?" Diana asked. Sol continued to stare.

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**The road to Dugald Isle**

As the brigade of knights walked, Kai looked around with a confused look. "What is it?" Sera asked. "Are we missing someone?" Kai said. "Who?" Captain Soma asked. "I think it's your little protégé. Shaosu I think his name was. Come to think of it I don't remember seeing him when we left Dunbarton." Kai said in an unusually calm tone. "Are you telling me he's been missing two days and we didn't even notice!?" Sera exclaimed. Kai simply shrugged. "Knowing him he probably rushed in the other direction." Sera slapped her forehead in frustration. Captain Soma simply grunted and kept on walking. "I'm not worried. Even if he is lost there aren't a lot of directions he can go so he should catch up with us eventually."

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It's done! It's finally done! Oh god I'm so happy. I'd make a speech if this thing wasn't already roughly 14 pages long. I think these things are getting longer each time I write them.

So godofmadness43, I've finally decided to use your character although I may have to change his biography and some parts of his personality slightly to make it work. So before any confusion is made. **Shaosu** is godofmadness43's character and I'm using him with his permission. (this was written in case anyone else but him (or her) actually reads this story)

PS: Chapter 5 may also take a while to come up due to finals. (I don't get out of school until the 19th)

Oh and here are some more weapon descriptions.

**Lydia's gauntlets and boots**

I wanted to include a hand-to-hand fighter in the group so that's how Lydia came to be. Lydia was trained in several forms of hand-to-hand combat styles and thus usually never uses weapons like swords or maces. Instead, she relies on her gauntlets which are enchanted to enhance her strength and also able to control certain elements once magic has been channeled through the appropriate rune on her gauntlets/boots.

**Rudianos's Mace**

Rudi's weapons consists of a Giant long staff with a huge steel sphere at the end and has drill spikes dotted all over it. Not that hard to explain really. Oh and as a side note, I named Rudi after a Celtic god of war.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm finally on summer vacation! But this time I'm a little depressed. Why? you may ask. Well, It's because I signed up for an advanced class next year to earn college credit and now I need to do a summer reading assignment to get in. School just won't leave me alone.

Well, enough complaining. This chapter has been a long time coming and I can finally work on it (mostly) full time.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 5: Apprentice**

"_It's so beautiful!" Luna exclaimed as she stared at the sparkling red amulet in front of her. _

"_I see you have an eye for quality. That jewel is a relic from the war with the fomors. Some say it is enchanted… or cursed, but nothing has happened to me yet so I guess those are just rumors." A rather plump traveling merchant smiled through his thick grey beard as Luna looked at several other objects on the blanket he had set up outside the manor, but no matter how many times her eyes wandered off they always trailed back to the jewel. _

"_Do you want it?"_

_Luna jumped at the voice and turned around. "Oh, Sol… It's just you. Don't sneak up on me like that."_

_Sol chuckled and then stopped. He reached into his armor and pulled out a small brown bag. "Old man, How much for the amulet?"_

"_Hold on! Sol you don't have to-" Luna began to protest but was stopped by Sol._

"_It's fine, don't worry about it. Besides, it is your birthday isn't it?" Sol said._

"_Yes but…" Luna was, once again, silenced._

_Sol turned and asked the merchant what the price was and the merchant responded in kind. "200 gold should just about do it."_

"_Alright, let's see…" Sol began to count off the money in his bag then stopped. He then recounted and soon began to look through the pockets in his clothes under his armor. "I though I had more saved up…" Sol looked at the ground then back at the merchant. "How about an IOU."_

"_Geez Sol, If your going to buy someone a gift at least make sure you have enough to make good on the offer." A young man with slicked back black hair and clear brown eyes teased Sol._

"_Shut it Ceez!" Sol yelled._

_Ceez simply laughed and pulled out his own black puch and pulled out a handfull of coins andplaced it in front of the old man. "That should cover the difference." Ceez said and stood next to Sol. The merchant handed the amulet over to Luna and she held it close to her. "Thank you…" She turned to the 2 teenagers standing near by, Ceez simply grinned, shrugged and walked off. "Especially you, Sol."_

"_But Ceez paid for-" before he could finish Luna's lips connected with his. When they finally broke Sol turned beat red. Luna smiled and ran towards the manor. Sol simply stood there, speechless._

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**5 days after the dragon statue incident**

"Sol, it's time we had a little talk." Diana was sitting on a stool next to Sol's bed as he ate some soup. Toran was sitting on the window sill, Lydia was on the dresser and Rudi sat in the corner in a fetal position trying not to take up the entire space. "Those knights weren't just randomly attacking us, They were specifically targeting you." Lydia added and Rudi nodded in agreement. "And let's not forget how you transformed and totally destroyed the excavation site." Toran added. "So do you feel like explaining?" Diana leaned in closer with a narrow look in her eyes. Sol drank down the last of his meal and placed the bowl on the side table and took a deep breath and spoke. "No way in hell.

**Outside**

Comgan was sitting outside on a bench enjoying the sun and watching the people go by. However, his bliss was broken by a scream and crashing noises in the inn across the street.

**Inside**

Sol was being strangled to death by Lydia who had grow irritated with Sol's aloof nature since the incident. "Lydia calm down! It's not worth it!" Toran was trying to pull her off of Sol. "Yeah, If you kill him, we all lose!" Diana yelled in a greement. Eventually they managed to pry her off. Just in time too, because Sol had just started to turn blue.

"Screw this! I'm going for a walk!" Lydia stormed out of the room and slammed the door. Rudi soon followed after her.

As the 2 left Diana turned to Sol. "Please Sol, this is serious. If we're going to deal with this, we need to know what you know. Sol pondered this for a moment. "at least answer me this," Diana began. "When we first met, you told me that you used to be a knight, protecting a young girl but she was killed because of someone's betrayal. Is that one night, Vulcan, the traitor. Sol looked Diana in the eyes. "No, he isn't, and to be honest, I don't really know who these people are or why they want me dead. Although, I have had run ins with several incidents similar to the ones we've been encountering lately." Sol said. "Other incidents?" Toran inquired. "Yeah, before I met Diana, I had encountered a bandit leader corrupted by a fomor artifact and before that I had been to several small settlements of trade caravans who had been affected by fomor influence in some way. Although these incidents have become more frequent as of late." Diana and Toran exchanged looks. "Then maybe it's because of revenge for screwing up their plans in those places or something…" Toran theorized as he walked across the room towards the door. "I'm going to go buy some supplies for when we start heading out." As Toran left. Diana got up as well. "I'm going to see if Lydia has cooled off." As Diana reached the door she stopped as Sol called her name. "Diana! Could I… ask you something?" Diana had a curios look on her face. "Sure, what's up?" Sol took a deep breath. "If you ever found out… that I wasn't exactly who you thought I was… That I've done things that weren't always right. What would you do?" Sol asked. Diana had a surprised look in here eyes which quickly turned into a soft smile. "Your past is irrelevant. What matters is the present." As the door shut for the final time Sol sat in his bead and began to think.

Sol looked out the window and tried to recall everything that happened during his fight with Diran, but couldn't remember anything after he was knocked against the statue. _"Did I really lose control? If what Diana and the others said is correct and I transformed against my will then I don't have much time left."_ Sol rolled up his sleeves and looked at the patterns on his arms. They had gotten thicker and were extending to his wrists. "I really don't have much time left." Sol clenched his fists and glared out the window.

________________________________________________________________________

"Damn it!" A young boy, no older than 16 with black, disheveled hair and brown eyes dragged his feet across the dirt road leading to Bangor. He was wearing white armor which was slightly rusted and a few cracks here and there suggesting years of use. There were 2 Gladius Blades strapped to his belt, one with a black hilt and one with a white one, and strapped to his back was a giant 2 handed sword. "I can't believe I over slept! Master's going to tan my hide for this." The boy stopped in his tracks, considering the situation. "If I really do catch up with my master then…" An image of a horrible death flashed across his mind. The boy shuddered at the thought. "I don't have to go back, I could just turn towards the woods! No one would ever have to know. I could be a wandering knight or something." As the boy pondered what to do he heard a scream. "What was that? It came from the excavation sight." The boy turned in the direction of the yell. A flash of light was what greeted him. "That looked like a spell!" The boy drew his blades and rushed off. He came to a stop at the mouth of the hole that was the dragon excavation site. "Whoa, what happened here?" He heard a cracking sound to his left and saw a young girl being cornered by Kobold Bandits.

WHACK. The Kobold Bandit was knocked aside by a long wooden staff. A young girl was backed into a corner. She had rose colored hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. She wore a black shirt with white sleeves, black socks and shoes and a black skirt. "I didn't expect something like this to happen this quickly. She took a step back as the stepped forward. "I really need to start going out again." She readied herself for attack but saw someone drop in from the sky. With blinding speed, he rushed up behind the Bandits and took out 3 in one swing. He turned to the left and cleaved another one into 3 pieces. 2 of them leaped into the air and at the boys back. He threw one of his blades and struck a charging bandit in the throat and used his now free hand to pull out the claymore on his back, slicing the 2 bandits in the air as he did so. Sheathing his remaining gladius, he then grasped the claymore in both hands and swung in a wide circle taking out almost all of the remaining enemies. When hi readied for his next attack, The bandits were retreating and clambering up the boulders and rocks and off into the woods.

The boy sheathed his claymore and retrieved the gladius he had thrown into the Bandit. "Are you alright?" He asked as he trotted over to the young girl. "Yes… I'm fine." She said dusting off her skirt. "I should be asking you though." She continued. "I'm Naomi by the way." Naomi extended her hand and the boy took it. "I'm Shaosu." They shook hands and smiled at each other.

"So you are part of a brigade of knights!?" Naomi exclaimed. Shaosu leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. "Yup. I was taken in about 3 years ago and trained by my commander after my family was killed." Shaosu responded. "I see, I'm sorry to hear that. Where is your teacher now?" Naomi asked. Shaosu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Bangor I hope. You see, about a week ago, my master decided to take me, his 2 lieutenants and about a dozen other knights on a hunt for a guy named Sol and I kind of got separated from the group I was traveling with." Naomi's expression grew more serious _"Sol? What would knights want with him?"_ Naomirelaxed back into her chair a little. "How'd you get seperated?" She asked. Shaosu looked down and took a deep breath. "I… uh… overslept…" An awkward silence filled the room. "You overslept?" Naomi inquired. "Yeah… we arrived in Dunbarton and we had to sleep in separate hotels due to lack of space. I must have missed the signal and they left without me." Shaosu admitted. "Why'd they leave you behind? Aren't you part of their brigade." Naomi asked. "It was a pretty large group, I'm not surprised they didn't notice I was gone. I just hope I'm going the right way."

Shaosu got up and stretched his arms a little. "Well, enough about me. What's your story?" Shaosu looked at Naomi inquisitively as she sunk back into her seat, deep in thought. _"What should I tell him?"_ Naomi tried to think of a good explanation. "I-I'm just a traveler on her way to Bangor!" Naomi gave a nervous smile. _"crap! Now he probably knows I'm hiding something."_ Shaosu gave her a blank look and finally said "Okay." Naomi looked puzzled. "That's it? 'okay'" Shaosu stepped a little closer. "Yup! That's it!" Naomi questioned him further "but didn't it sound a bit evasive? Like I was avoiding the question?" Shaosu leaned in closer. "Why do you ask? _Are _you hiding something?" Naomi stuttered. "N-no! Not at all." a sly look spread across Shaosu's face. "Listen miss. You don't look like you've been out here for very long so here's a tip. If you are trying to not seem suspicious, don't question it if someone doesn't catch on. Besides, even if you tried something, I think I could handle it." Shaosu stared at Naomi and looked as though he could see her soul. A chill ran down her spine. Shaosu's look softened and his smile turned into a wide grin. "And with that settled, let's be on our way." Shaosu got up and opened the door. "Coming?" Naomi stood up and followed still taking in what happened. _"He changes faces pretty quickly."_

________________________________________________________________________

Lydia grumbled to herself as she munched on the piece of bread she had bought a few minutes earlier while Rudi was carrying about six other bags full of supplies. _" I guess I overreacted a little, and I'm sure Sol had his reason's for not telling us. But still, if he wants us to trust him he should come clean!"_ Lydia was too busy ranting to herself to notice a young boy crash into her. "What the-?" Lydia looked down to see a young boy with blue green hair, brown eyes and smudge all over his face. He was wearing dark blue overalls, a white shirt and an orange headband. "Sorry kid, I didn't see you there!"

The young boy got up and dusted off his overalls and looked up. "It's alright, I shouldn't have rushed in like that. I'm Sion by the way." Sion then looked more closely at Lydia and Rudi. "Hold on… You're Lydia right? You're one of the people who saved my dad and the other miners!" Sion exclaimed.

"Who's your dad?" Lydia asked.

"Seumas. Don't you remember? He was the head of the whole operation." Sion explained.

"Oh Him! How's he doing anyway?" Lydia asked, a grin forming on her face.

"Fine, I guess…" Sion's eyes trailed to the side, distracted.

"What's up?" Lydia tried to catch Sions attention but failed. She and Rudi exchanged looks then saw what he was staring at. A young girl sitting on a cliff overlooking the town. She had a light pink dress, a white hat, blond hair and blue eyes. Immediately Lydia caught on and a sly grin formed. "Sounds like someone has a crush!" She said jabbing her elbow into Sion's Shoulders.

Sion's cheeks grew fiery red. "Th-that's not it! Sh-shut up!" Sion backed away.

"Aw c'mon, it's pretty obvious. If you want I could give you some pointers" Lydia offered.

Sion immediately backed away. "I-I don't need any help! Just leave me alon!" Immediately he ran off.

"Kids today. Right Rudi?" Lydia turned to her partner who simply grunted in confirmation. Soon footsteps were heard behind them. "Now what?" Lydia and rudi turned to see Toran holding about a half dozen bags filled with supplies.

"There you guys are! Diana was looking for you!" Toran ran up and stud next to Rudi and looked up. "What's that stuff?"

"Supplies." Rudi said.

"But I just… Damn it!" Toran cursed as he realized he wasted his time. "Well… we'd better find Diana and get ready to leave. We're heading out tomorrow."

________________________________________________________________________

"This is Bangor?" Shaosu looked down from the elevated cliff/walkway that the entrance lead to. The position of the sun had given the rocks and soil a nice crimson hue and the sound of pickaxes and machinery, and the occasional battle cry could be heard echoing out of barri dungeon. "Even with all the dust and heat, it does feel a bit refreshing."

"Why do you think so many people live here?" Naomi interjected as she walked up next to Shaosu. "Do you see any sign of your group?"

Shaosu looked around with concern. "No… I've got a really bad feeling about this." Shaosu and Naomi walked down the hill and stopped in front of the entrance to the aforementioned dungeon noticing a shadow emerging from the tunnel. "Excuse me Sir! Could I ask you a question?"

The figure stopped and looked at Shaosu and Naomi. "Yes of course. I'm Seumas by the way." Seumas extended a hand.

"Thank you Seumas. I'm Shaosu and this is Naomi." Shaosu and Seumas shook hands. "Anyway, Have you seen a group of about a dozen or so knights pass through recently?" shaosu asked.

Seumas thought hard and stroked his beard. "Can't say I have."

"Are you sure? The leader had black hair and red eyes." Shaosu questioned further.

"Sorry, I was at the excavation site. If a group of knights passed through, I would have seen it." Seumas clarified.

"I see… Thanks anyway." shaosu hung his head and walked off in a depressed state.

"Shaosu? Hey! Wait up!" Naomi ran after him. Shaosu entered an open air bar and sat at one of the tables and slammed his head down. "Hey what's wrong?" Naomi asked concerned.

"My master is going to kill me is what's wrong." Shaosu sat up. "I mean, It's bad enough I embarrassed myself on the first mission by sleeping in but then I rush off and save a beautiful girl from some monsters only to find out that I went in the completely opposite direction? If that isn't the insult of the year then I don't know what is." Shaosu sighed heavily and hung his head again. "I might as well resign now…" He muttered.

"Beautiful girl?" Naomi questioned.

Shaosu's face turned red. "Uh-um… what I meant was… uh… let's talk about something else." Shaosu said, trying to change the subject.

"_I can't belive this is the same guy that sent a chill down my spine in that house."_ Naomi smiled. "Maybe you could try searching for this Sol person." She suggested "then maybe he'll forgive you." Shaosu didn't move. "It's better than nothing and besides. Do you have anything better to do?"

Reluctantly shaosu got up. "Fine, but I won't hold my breath." the two exited the door into the town.

________________________________________________________________________

**Tir Chonail, Chiefs House**

Chief Duncan stared with concern out of his window and at the semi-large troupe of knights setting up camp in the fields just outside town. "I don't like the looks of this." He continued to stare, focusing most of his attention on the captain who was standing near a tree, overseeing the operation. The man turned and looked at the village, his red eyes bearing a cold, and haunted look. Duncan then jumped as a knocking noise was heard at his door.

" Chief? It's me, Malcolm!"

Duncan smiled and opened the door. "What are you doing here? It's almost sundown."

"I came to drop off some food. I had a little extra in my storage so I though I might share a little." Malcolm explained.

"It's strange… I'm sure you would've given most of this to Nora." Duncan smiled.

"I already sent her a gift yesterday!… I mean- uh. Nevermind." Malcolm stuttered. "Anyway, is there something wrong? You look kind of pale."

"I'm just a little concerned about our recent guests." Duncan gestured over to the plains.

"Really? They're just some knights right? Shouldn't we be welcoming them?" Malcolm questioned.

"I just have a feeling that's all. Anyway go get some rest, you'll need it when they start heading into town." Duncan patted Malcolm on the shoulder and the 2 parted ways. He set the bag of food Malcolm had given him on a small table and looked again outside at the knights. _"This just doesn't feel right…"_ He thought lighting a small candle.

**Fields outside Tir Chonail**

"Do you think Sol is here?" The young captain Soma asked his lieutenants.

Kai scratched his hair and sighed. "With our recent luck? Not likely. I'm beginning to think that we should start heading back, besides there aren't any villages past this point, just a snowy death trap and a huge mountain."

"Then we search the mountain, particularly around Sidhe Sneachta." Soma calmly stated.

Kai stood up. "Sidhe Sneachta!? Are you crazy, our men will freeze to death up there! Plus they're already frustrated as it is!" Kai protested loudly. Sera started to say something but decided to stay silent.

"Are you questioning my authority!?" Captain Soma stood up and looked directly into the eyes of his subordinate. "If you want to go then leave! I have no use for cowards and complainers in my brigade!" His voice resounded across the camp, drawing the attention of several others.

Kai stared at his commander angrily and then looked away. "N-No sir, I apologize for my insubordination." Kai turned around and walked towards his tent, defeated. While Soma turned and walked towards his tent solemnly.

Sera looked around to see that the spectacle had caused the other knights to stop working. "And what are you slackers staring at!? Get these tents set up in the next half hour or some of you will be sleeping on the ground!" Immediately all the soldiers started pitching their tents at her command, occasionally conversing with their friends. Satisfied that the camp would be set up in time, Sera took a concerned look at her captain as he entered his tent. _"Captain…"_

________________________________________________________________________

_Sol stood on a white platform, staring at the young girl in front of him. He smiled and spoke her name. "Luna…" She smiled back and walked towards him, as she approached, black wings formed on her back._

_She was now only a few inches away, she stroked his cheek with her hand and opens her mouth. "Can you hear me?" She whispers._

_Sol responded. "Of course I can. Why wouldn't I?"_

_Luna's expression brightened. "So you can hear me…" Her smile however, soon disappeared and she spoke in a more serious tone. "I have a request to make of you."_

_Sol had a confused look on his face "what's going on? Is it finally time?" Sol began to worry._

_Luna simply continued to speak. "Please, come to this world, Tir Na Nogg… is in danger…" A bright light soon engulfed everything with Sol calling Luna's name._

Sol sat up on the bed, breathing heavily. "What the hell?" He looked out the window, The sun was beginning to set, giving the town an orange glow. "How long was I out?" He looked out the window to see 2 young teenagers talking with each other. One was in armor with a claymore strapped to his back and 2 smaller blades on his belt, he also had a blue cross engraved on his chest and shoulders. And next to him was a young girl with rose colored hair, blue eyes, and black and white clothing. "She looks kind of familiar." Sol continued to stare at the young girl until a familiar buzzing in the back of his head began to drone on and on. "Not again…" Sol groaned as he began to feel more light headed. "No… No… I'm not losing control again!" Sol took another look at the girl and an image of Nao flashed through his mind. "Could she be…" The girl looked up and noticed Sol staring and had a look of surprise. Sol's eyes briefly turned yellow and his head suddenly began to hurt badly. "Dammit!!" Sol clutched his head and yelled.

Diana had just returned to the small Inn that the group decided to stay at and just said hello to the manager when she heard Sol yell in agony. _"Oh no! what now!?"_ Diana rushed up to Sol's room and found the door was locked. Without hesitation she kicked the door down only to find an empty bed and an open window. "No, no, no, no!" Diana searched the room to find Sol's battle attire and katana missing.

"Diana! What's wrong?" Toran and the others burst through the door. "We heard you yelling as we came in."

"S-Sol's gone…" Diana said with a quivering tone. Toran, Lydia, and Rudi had a look of horror and surprise on their faces.

________________________________________________________________________

Naomi was dragging around a still depressed Shaosu around town looking for Sol, both for his sake and for Naomi's goal. Everything was going okay until a thought crossed the girls mind. _"Hold on… If this kid is part of a brigade of knights hunting down Sol, then doesn't that mean that he'll arrest him if we find him!? I can't let that happen yet, but what do I do now!? I can't exactly call this search off now… or maybe I can."_ Naomi saw shaosu's depressed look and decided to try and persuade him to call off the search until she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked up at a window to see a young boy with white hair and blue eyes staring out a window. _"Sol!?"_ Naomi thought and then saw him get up, grab something and then leaped out the window and rushed toward them. "H-hey Shaosu could you do me a favor? I need you to-" Before she could finish Shaosu was kicked in the face and spun in the air towards a cart filled with hay.

**About 15 min earlier**

Sol had just use his window as an exit from his room and had just finished strapping on his armor and sword and flung on his cloak while running (somehow). _"I can't believe this! Can't I get a break just this once!?"_ Sol thought as he ran towards the white armored boy and the rose haired girl. Without thinking, he launched himself into the air and accidentally kicked the boy in the face and sent him crashing into a hay cart. "Oh crap…" Sol muttered under his breath. "Sorry!" He yelled and turned to his right to see a shocked Naomi with a dumbstruck look on her face. He then grabbed her arm. "You! You're Nao aren't you!?" Sol said.

Naomi looked at Sol, still dazed at what just happened. "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb! You know as well as I do that I can see through any disguise of yours. I know who you are, You're the one who gave me these!" Sol held up his free hand and let the sleeve fall to reveal the markings on his arm. Naomi had a surprised look on her face.

Meanwhile, Shaosu had managed to climb out of the cart and his attention was drawn to Sol. "Wait a sec… that's…" Shaosu remembered when his captain showed him a sketch of the person they were looking for and Sol matched it line by line. _"I've found him! I finally- wait what's he doing?"_ Shaosu saw Sol yelling and bring up his hand mistaking it for a fist. "Is he gonna…". Shaosu drew his blades and rushed at Sol and struck.

Sol saw the attack coming off the corner of his eye and without thinking shoved Naomi away and drew his blade and blocked the attack. Shaosu, still in the air, broke off and spin-kicked Sol in the gut and landed as he skidded back. "What was that for!?" Sol cried out.

"Naomi, are you alright!?" Shaosu asked as Naomi got up.

"Yes. I think so." Naomi said.

Shaosu then readied his blades and glared at Sol. "By the order of Captain Soma Hecate. I place you, Sol Invictus under arrest! Surrender now and we can skip this whole thing."

"So- Soma!?" immediately, a pool of memories flooded Sol's memories. Memories of him and a boy always practicing in the courtyard of a large Manor. "So… He's after me now as well." Sol's expression grew more serious and calm. "Kid… I have a pretty good Idea why you're captain wants me arrested but I can't end up in prison right now. There's something important I have to do and I'm not letting you or anyone else get in the way!" Sol then split his blade and charged.

"Then we'll do this the hard way…" Shaosu twirled his blades and also charged at Sol.

"Wait both of you! Stop!" Naomi yelled but neither of the 2 swordsmen would listen.

Shaosu slashed at Sol with both his blades only to meat with air as Sol leaped into the sky. Sol turned his blade upside down and tried to bring it down on Shaosu's head but missed as Shaosu stepped back, letting Sol crash into the ground. As Sol tried to steady himself Shaosu leaped at him again, curling into a ball and "rolling" in the air with his blades extended. (Like a spinning wheel of death or something.) And the blades clanged against Sol's katanas 3 times before shaosu finally uncurled and kicked Sol's blades out of his hands and as he landed, sweeped Sol up from under him and kicked him away.

The force of the kick sent Sol crashing through a cart, someone's fence and finally a pile of crates. Sol groaned as he got up and dusted off his sleeves. "Alright… Not bad. But still… nothing I can't handle." Sol said breathing heavily. He then tried to ready his blades only to realize he didn't have them. Sol looked around to see that one of them landed in a pile of rocks near the dungeon entrance and that the other was right behind Shaosu. "Why does it always have to be complicated?" Sol then readied a combat stance more suited for hand to hand brawls.

________________________________________________________________________

Diana, Toran, Lydia, and Rudi had heard the commotion and saw the people in town rushing to see the fight and followed the crowd. "Are you sure it's him?" Toran asked.

"Well, who else has white hair and blue eyes in this town?" Diana remarked. As she finished her sentence, a small boy in a red robe with white hair and blue eyes ran past them. "Well… except for him."

As the quartet of travelers reached the front of the crowd they could see a disarmed Sol about to take on an armed knight. "Sol! Watch out!" Lydia called.

Shaosu tried to stab at Sol however he sidestepped at the last second and grabbed Shaosu's arm. "Damn!" Shaosu was kicked away by Sol who grabbed shaosu's black hilted Gladius as his arm slipped against Sol's grip. As shaosu stumbled back, he just barely managed to parry a strike from Sol who had started to grow impatient and began to be more relentless in his attacks. Sol used a series of fast yet powerful strikes to try and get Shaosu to lose his balance and to lose ground. Shaosu couldn't find an opening and was forced on the defensive. _"damn it…" _He thought. _"I have to turn things around! What if I use that power?"_ Shaosu ducked in time to avoid another swing from Sol and rolled away. _"No! that's not an option. The Captain said that I haven't perfected it yet and if I try it, it would do more harm than good."_ Sol readied his newly acquired blade and charged. _"What if I use the claymore? No, with the way that Sol fights, I'd be to slow to get past my first swing." _Sol drew closer as he charged. "Well, I guess I've got no choice…" Shaosu stood up and a white glow began to surround him.

Sol continued his charge but stopped as soon as Shaosu began to glow. His head suddenly burst with pain. "Gyahhhh!" Sol dropped the gladius and clutched his head with both hands. "No, no, no! Not now!" Sol struggled and looked up at his opponent. White armor began to form around Shaosu's body. "Crap… I didn't think Soma would go that far with a student." Sol's thoughts were interrupted by a another surge of pain.

**On the sidelines**

Diana clutched her chest in worry. "This feeling…" She muttered. "It's the same as when he lost it back at the excavation site." Diana stared at Sol with a mix of concern and horror.

"That look…" Naomi stared both at Sol then at Shaosu. "Is Sol reacting to Shaosu's transformation?" As soon as she noticed Sol's eyes turn yellow she knew what would happen. "Shaosu get away. You'll only make things worse!"

By this time everything except shaosu's head was completely covered in white armor. "What's the matter? Have you lost faith in me." Shaosu said in a joking tone. As Shaosu's head was concealed by the helmet he drew his claymore. He now had the appearance of a Rank F Paladin. "Now you'll see what I can really do!" Shaosu Rushed at Sol with his claymore raised.

Sol seemed to pay no attention to what was going on. The world started to spin. Soon everything faded to black.

As Shaosu brought down his blade on Sol's head. His blade was stopped by his opponents hand. "What the hell?" Sol looked up at Shaosu, his eyes were yellow and had a demonic look in them. A sadistic grin spread across his lips as a black liquid began to spread quickly across Shaosu's blade. The darkness almost reached Shaosu's hands when he managed to leap back just in time. The blade then exploded into a thousand shards. "Damn. That cost me almost 600 gold!" Shaosu commented before he realized Sol was suddenly right in front of him. "What the-" Sol grabbed Shaosu by the neck and punched a hole clear through his armor. A black Aura surrounded his arm and surged through The young paladin, destroying him from the inside. As the darkness disappeared Sol let go of shaosu and let him drop to the ground as the armor dissipate.

Naomi watched in horror at what Sol had just done. She yelled Shaosu's name and rushed over. Sol's arm was, again consumed by the blob-like dark energy which twisted itself into a blade. Sol raised it and was about to finish the job when Naomi appeared in front of him. "That's enough Sol. You've gone too far this time." Naomi glared at Sol with determination.

The blade arm twitched forward but was stopped as Diana called out Sol's name. He then recoiled back violently as he tried to regain his composure. The blade disappeared, and Sol clutched his head as he tried to regain control. His eyes returned to their natural blue color and he collapsed on his knees, breathing heavily. "What…What the hell did I just do?" Sol looked over at Naomi who still had a hint of concern on her face and then at Shaosu who was bloody and beaten on the ground. "Damn it! I lost control again!" Sol punched the ground and got up. "Nao… What are you doing here?" Sol staggered and almost fell but was caught by Diana. He looked around to find the others there with concern on their faces.

Naomi was kneeling next to Shaosu who was unconscious but alive. "Looks like he's going to be okay. I just have to stop the bleeding and seal up the cuts." Nao looked at Sol as she cast her healing spell. "And to answer your question. I came here to investigate the area of your recent outburst. The fact that your powers are activating against your will is a sign that Cichol's forces are becoming active." As Naomi continued healing, Shaosu began to regain consciousness. "Sol, You have to find a way to stop him. Go to Sidhe Sneachta. You'll find something useful there."

"So it's finally beginning then?" Sol said. "Now's my chance to complete my goal."

Naomi had a pained expression on her face when Sol mentioned this. "Yes… I suppose so. And Sol, when the time comes… please make the right choice."

Sol nodded and turned to retrieve his blades. As he did so, Diana walked up to him and asked. "What did that girl mean by 'choice'?" Diana asked.

Sol merely looked at her with a haunted expression. "I'd rather not discuss it right now. Just get your stuff ready. We're leaving in the morning."

"What about them?" Toran asked gesturing towards Shasou and Naomi.

"They'll be fine." Sol said turning towards the Inn, the crowd of people making way as he approached the door and eventually dispersing towards their respective homes.

________________________________________________________________________

Shaosu woke up in a bed, covered in bandages. He ran his hand across his chest and winced at the pain. He heard the door open and looked to his left to see Naomi walk in with 2 cups of coffee. "Oh! You're awake." Naomi set the cups down on the dresser and sat on a stool next to the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I look like a mummy and the slightest twitch sends a symphony of pain across my body I'm fine." Shaosu smirked, then took a more serious expression. "So… was what you told that guy true Naomi? Or shouldI say Nao?" Shasou stared right into her eyes.

Nao looked away. "You were conscious for that?"

"Just barely. Why didn't you tell me?"

Nao stared back. "Would you have believed me? Besides, when the guardian of the Soul stream shows up, you can't exactly go through town without attracting attention. Sometimes it can be unwanted attention."

Shaosu nodded, understanding the situation. "So what will you do now? Return to the Soul stream?"

"I think I'll stick around in this world for now. I still have some things I need to investigate, besides, I still owe you for getting you mixed up in all this." Nao looked with concern over Shaosu's injuries. "What will you do?"

Shaosu sighed and lied back down. "I guess I'll head back to Emain Macha. By the looks of these injuries, I won't be back in action until at least a few more weeks." Shaosu then asked another question. "What's up with Sol? And what's your connection with him?"

Nao looked at Shaosu with a confused face. "You mean you don't know?" Shasou shook his head. Nao shifted in her seat, uncomfortably. "I really don't think I should tell you but…"

Shaosu leaned in closer. "Why? Whats so bad about it?"

Nao took a deep breath. "Sol is… well.. He may have something to do with the death of your brother. If you want any more information, I suggest you speak to your captain about it." Shaosu's eyes widened with horror.

________________________________________________________________________

**Outside Bangor**

Sol remained silent as the group traveled back through the excavation sight, looking at the ground as he walked, his bangs hiding his eyes. Diana exchanged looks with the others. "Sol? What's wrong?" Diana asked.

Sol simply looked at the others, wearing the same carefree grin as when he usually did. "Nothing… Everythings fine."

"So where are we headed this time?" Lydia asked.

Sol looked onward to the north. "We're heading to Sidhe Sneachta."

"Sidhe sneachta!? Why?" Lydia protested.

Sol turned and explained the situation to the entire group. About his vision, Cichol's forces and Nao's message.

"My god… I can't believe it." Toran said.

"What the hell did we get ourselves into?" Lydia muttered.

"If you want to leave, now's the time." Sol said.

All four of them contemplated what Sol said until finally, Diana spoke up. "I've lost most of the people closest to me thanks to the fomors. I'm not quitting now."

"I just got started. Cleo wouldn't want me quitting this early in the game." Toran said.

"And we still owe those guys some payback. As far as I'm concerned, we're in." Lydia punched her palm and Rudi grunted in approval.

Sol grinned. "Alright then. Let's head out."

________________________________________________________________________

Well, There you have it.

I was going to let Shaosu join the team but I figured it would be more interesting this way. Anyway, Godofmadness43 I hope I did well with your character and (you already know this but I just make it a habit to give credit where credit is due) I also used his characters Naomi and Ceez. They belong to godofmadness and I used them on his permission.

Well, On to chapter 6.


	6. Chapter 6

Now here is where G1 starts to mix in. Hopefully, I'll be able keep things interesting.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 6: Brother**

_2 wooden swords bashed against each other in a large courtyard. 2 combatants were in the middle of a concrete square, attacking and defending as needed against the other. One with white hair and the other with black. The sun shone brightly in the sky gleaming off the chain mail plates that the 2 were wearing. The 2 stopped when the double-doors on the north side opened and another young knight with black hair entered._

"_Geez… Don't you 2 ever get tired? It's been almost 3 hours since I left and you're still going at it!" Ceez said taking a bite out of a piece of chocolate that he managed to snag out of the kitchen. "There's a difference between staying in shape and total obsession you know."_

"_Well it's better to be obsessed and well prepared than lazy and unresponsive!" Sol responded back._

"_Being well fed is just as important as being well built. Isn't that right Soma?" Ceez turned to the other boy in the training area._

"_I think I'll side with Sol on this one." He said scratching the back of his head._

"_Yeah, of course you do…" Ceez took another bite. _

_Soon, another figure entered into the courtyard. This time, it was a young girl, her long black hair swayed as a sudden gust of wind blew across. Under her arm was a basket with several pieces of bread and some jam. "Are you guys practicing again?" Luna sat down on a nearby bench, setting the basket next to her. "If you wear yourselves out, all this training will amount to nothing."_

"_I guess you're right sis, maybe we should stop for today." Soma said to Sol._

"_Oh sure, you listen to her but not to me…" Ceez muttered jokingly under his breath._

"_Ah shut up and eat some real food!" Sol said tossing Ceez a piece of bread. "Which do you think is more embarrassing? Being unable to fulfill your oath because of training to hard or poor eating habits?" Ceez caught the bread, smiled and joined his friends. To them, at this moment, In this isolated place, it didn't matter what happened outside or what would come in the future. What mattered was right here and now._

________________________________________________________________________

"Shaosu, stop!" Naomi was trying to hold Shaosu down as he tried to get up.

"Let me go, dammit! That bastard killed my brother and I just let him walk away from me!" Shaosu struggled to get up, opening up his wounds in the process, but despite this he still kept struggling.

"I never said that! And even if I did, If you went out now, you wouldn't make it past the town gate! All you'd do is bleed to death and then no one will be able to avenge his death." Nao said trying to hold Shaosu down.

At this realization, Shaosu stopped resisting and slowly laid back down. "I can't believe it…" Shaosu began to breath heavily. "I can't believe I just let him walk off like that." Shaosu covered his eyes with his arm, tears streaming down his eyes in frustration. Naomi looked at shaosu with sadness and hugged him.

________________________________________________________________________

**Just outside Tir Chonail**

The five travelers had been walking non stop for almost 2 weeks with the only rest they had was one night in Dunbarton. Everyone in the group was carrying large backpacks full of supplies (mostly due to over preparedness) and were being beaten over the head by the glaring sun. "How much longer…" Toran said sweating profusely. _"I should start wearing lighter clothing…"_ He thought to himself.

Sol, who shared Toran's pain but was unwilling to admit it answered his friend with a mocking tone. "What's the matter Toran. (heavy brething) Can't take… a little… heat…?" Sol then collapsed on the ground unconscious due to heat exhaustion.

"Well, now that our fearless leader is down for the count, I say we take a break in Tir Chonail, and unload some of the extra stuff in these things." Lydia said gesturing towards the backpacks.

"N-no time… keep… going…" Sol slurred as he tried to crawl forward only to have his fingers make claw marks in the ground and stopped as he passed out again.

" C'mon, that's enough. I'm sure Sidhe Sneachta will be there tomorrow." Diana said. Entrapping Sol's bag and slinging him over her shoulder. "Rudi, could you take his bag?" Rudi grunted in acknowledgement and picked up Sol's bag and continued walking.

As the group passed the fields, Lydia noticed indentations in the ground that looked like there was a large camp that was set up here recently. "Hey guys, I'm a little worried about what that woman Nerys said back in Dunbarton." Lydia said to the whole group.

"You mean about the knights looking for Sol?" Toran asked recalling the previous event.

**About 1 ½ weeks ago**

_The group was standing outside Nerys's house as they prepared to leave. "Hey, are you leaving already? You only stayed one night!" Nerys said leaning on the doorway, sipping some coffee._

"_We're kind of in a hurry so we can't stay very long." Sol said fastening his gauntlets._

"_Well then let me warn you guys. A group of knights in white armor passed through here from Emain Macha and asked me about Sol." Nerys said, her expression turning grim. The group stopped what they were doing and listened intently. "I couldn't put my finger on it but the leader of the group gave me a bad feeling. Like he saw right through you." _

"_What… what did the captain look like?" Sol asked hesitantly._

"_He had black hair, pale skin, and blood red eyes that looked like they would glow if you saw them in the dark." Nerys said._

"_I see… so he __is__ coming after me." Sol said and nodded._

**Present**

"Didn't Sol act suspiciously right then and there? What if everything he's told us is all a bunch of crap and he's just using us as some kind of bodyguard service in case he gets attacked!?" Lydia said knowing Sol wouldn't hear her. The rest of the group stopped and considered this fact.

"I don't believe that." Diana said with a stern look on her face. "I can't believe he'd deceive us like that."

"How do you know?" Lydia said turning to face her traveling partner.

"Well, are his recent actions, the actions of a criminal on the run." Diana speculated.

"Hm… I guess you're right. But still, I'm worried." Lydia said continuing to walk. Sol began to snore as they neared a small bridge.

________________________________________________________________________

**Unknown Location**

"How does it feel?" a young woman in a black and white healers dress asked as she examined the wounds on her commander.

"Just fine.. You may leave now." Vulcan flexed his arm twice to make sure everything was fine. He ran his hand through his hair as he laid back down. _"This is the first time I've had in a while that I had a chance to relax."_

"Well look what we have here." A voice cried out. Immediately Vulcan's peace was violently interrupted.

Diran leaned on the doorway to the small infirmary they were in. After the battle with Sol turned sour, the trio of dark knights had retreated and ended up in one of their remote outposts to heal and plan. "What do you want?" Vulcan asked with a scowl on his face.

Diran walked across the room and looked out the window. "Is there something wrong with checking if a comrade is in good health?" Diran said mockingly.

"Enough joking around Diran. We need to decide what our next move should be." Tanya said as she entered the room.

Diran shrugged. "Killjoy." Diran muttered and his expression grew more serious. "However, she does have a point. Now that we know our target is a dark knight, we may have to approach things a little differently."

"Why? So what if he's a dark knight? He's an enemy and we'll handle him just like any other enemy. Kill him and maybe take a trophy back home if there's anything left." Vulcan said sitting up.

"What I mean is that if our opponent is the same as us then our usual tactics won't be as effective. So, any ideas?" Diran said grabbing a stool and sitting down.

The whole room was silent until Vulcan spoke up. "I honestly don't know how to proceed from here other than asking our lord why this boy is a target." Vulcan said looking around. "I know we're supposed to obey Cichol without question but our recent missions and orders have become somewhat mundane and straight forward. I mean, we never used to be this active. Before we used to simply spark a little chaos or maybe wipe a village of the map but now we have set up outposts like this all across the continent and even sent sleeper agents into several towns and rival organizations. Granted we've been doing that before, but never to this extent. I don't know what to think, except that something big is about to happen and we're being left out of the loop." Vulcan said in a worried tone.

Diran tooke this in and stood up. "While I can agree with your statement, I don't think Lord Cichol would like us questioning his orders. Vulcan… we've been partners for over a decade now but I can't help you on this. If you want to argue with our Master about this then do so on your own, Me and Tanya will have no part in it." Diran left and Tanya followed.

Vulcan was once again, alone in the room pondering how to handle his predicament.

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras' Inn, Tir Chonail **

"This is great!" Sol said as he gulped down an entire bowl of noodles in less than a minute.

"And you said you didn't want to stop." Toran said in a mocking tone.

"I think you just took my words a little out of context." Sol said

"Out of context? You specifically said that you didn't want to stop for anything! What context could I possibly mistake that for?" Toran retorted.

"Is it always like this in your group?" Piaras asked as he organized several things around the counter.

"Not always. So anyway, You said that you met Sol once before?" Diana asked with curiosity.

"Yes actually! He came to this town one day and saved my niece, Nora." Piaras said with a grin.

Soon, the sound of the door opening was heard and Nora stepped through the door with a bag in her hand. "Uncle Piaras! I got the stuff you wanted me… to…" Nora trailed off when she saw the group that was sitting at the counter more specifically, at Sol.

"Sup…" Sol said with his mouth full.

"Welcome back!" Nora leaped and hugged Sol, knocking him over in the process.

"Well, I guess Sol wasn't lying huh Diana?" Lydia said turning to face her friend.

Diana had a ticked off expression on her face after looking at Sol and Nora talking.

"_Oh, I see…"_ Lydia said holing back a giggle.

"So you're heading to Sidhe Sneachta?" Nora asked. after the commotion had died down, Nora was next to her uncle Piaras asking Sol about his recent travels.

"That's right. I had a vision from the goddess Morrighan telling me about Cichol's army." Sol said as he explained himself. "Is there anything at all up there in the mountains that we should look out for?"

Nora thought for a moment and then spoke. "There was a large group of knights that passed through here a few days ago. I don't know if they're still up there but I haven't seen anyone come down. It's probably not worth mentioning though, they seemed alright to me." Nora said shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah… thanks." Sol had a serious look on his face as he assessed the situation. "I'm going to go get some air."

As Sol exited the inn, Nora had a concerned look on her face. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No you didn't, I'm sure he's just a little tired." Toran reassured her.

Sol wandered around Tir Chonail half to see what had happened since he had left and half to just reflect on everything. He saw that there were a few people in a uniform similar to Trefor's were walking around. _"I guess Trefor managed to actually set up a town guard. _Sol sat down on a bench in town square _"I had only intended to get at most 2 other traveling companions. This is starting to turn into a handful."_ Sol's thoughts were interrupted when he sensed someone approaching from his right. Sol looked over to see chief Duncan facing him, a kind smile spread across his face.

"Good to see you my boy." Duncan greeted and took a seat next to Sol.

"You're Chief Duncan right? We didn't really talk much the last time I was here." Sol and Duncan shook hands. "So what do you need from me?"

Duncan took a deep breath. "To warn you. You see, a group of-"

"A group of knights passed through town and they asked questions about me, right?" Sol finished for Duncan.

"So you already know."

"You're the third person to mention it. And let me guess, The leader had cold piercing red eyes that almost looked like they would glow if you saw them in the dark." Sol continued.

"Someone told you?"

"No. Well, yes but I already knew who the captain was the second I heard those guys were after me." Sol said.

"I take it you know this captain?" Duncan inquired.

"Yes."

"Why is he after you?"

Sol shifted in his side of the bench uneasily. "That's something I'd rather not discuss."

"Will it endanger the village?"

"As far as I can see… No." Sol said.

"That's all I needed to hear." Duncan stood up and looked up at the blue sky. "I'd better head home. You have no idea how many people come to visit you when you're the head of the village."

As Duncan walked off, Sol stood up and looked towards the mountain. He stared more focused on a particular point, as if he was looking directly into the eyes of someone in front of him.

________________________________________________________________________

**Sidhe Sneachta**

Captain Soma stood on the edge of a small cliff overlooking the ground below the mountain. He stared intently at the village down below as though he knew someone was doing the same to him. "He's almost here…" A small grin crept over his face.

"Did you say something sir?" Sera asked shivering slightly. Her captain did not answer however and seemed focused on the town down below. She was about ot ask again but Kai stopped her.

"Let him be Sera, It's no use when he has that look in his eye." Kai said in a rather disgruntled tone. "Let's just hope he comes to his senses so that we can leave this frozen hell hole." Kai sat down on a log in front of a small fire.

Sera sat down next to him and tried to warm her hands. "How's everyone doing." sera asked.

"Oh just peachy." Kai said in a sarcastic tone. " We've got about enough food to last us about 2 days and we have to chip away the ice that forms on the armor before it sticks to hard and keep warm in makeshift freezers."

Sera did not respond and looked over at captain Soma. She saw some ice slowly begin to encase parts of his armor. "Uh… sir?"

Captain Soma seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had placed himself in and faced his subordinates. "Tell everyone to get ready for tomorrow. Our target will be arriving shortly."

"How could you possibly know that?" Kai protested.

"Just trust me."

"No! No more secrets, You've dragged us halfway across the continent with little to no breaks in between, lost track of Shaosu, and now we have been forced to freeze to death in this frozen wasteland waiting for a target that may or may not be in the completely opposite direction. Well I-"

Kai was cut off when Captain Soma moved in closer and looked him straight in the eyes. "Fine, I'll make a bet. If Sol isn't encountered on the mountain tomorrow then we pack up and head for home and I'll let you take a few extra days on leave but if I'm right then I don't want to hear any complaining from you and your pay for this month goes to me.(To those of you who aren't familiar with military terms, "Leave" means vacation in this situation. I don't know if they used this term in medieval times but who cares)

"_We have enough supplies to last us one more day, and there's little chance that he'll actually show up…" _Kai looked his captain back in the eye and grinned. "You've got a deal, sir." The 2 shook hands and walked in a huff back to their tents.

Sera was left in the middle and wondered just what the hell was going to happen.

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras' Inn, Tir Chonail**

The sky turned to a dim orange as the sun began to set, the clouds had also started to turn into a dark purple. Street lanterns lit up and all the people retreated to their homes, The entire town was beginning to settle down.

"And these are your rooms." Nora proclaimed in a rather small hall. "To the left is the boys side and the right, the girls." Nora pointed to the appropriate rooms. "Take care you guys." she said as she trotted down the stairs. The group then dissolved and went to their respective rooms.

**Girls rooms**

"You know, it's nice to enter a town and not have something outstanding or life threatening bashing down your door." Diana said as she stripped off her armor revealing the grey shirt and pants underneath. She stepped over to a window and looked out, admiring the moonlight than reflected off of the stream below. "This sort of reminds me of the village I used to live in. Me and a few friends of mine would just sit by the stream and throw rocks into the river." Images of children playing by a stream were replaced by memories of spreading flames and people screaming in agony as armed men took their lives. Then of a tall young woman with short black hair surrounded by others clad in armor offering their hands to Diana. _"Tara…"_

"What was life like at your village?" Lydia asked as she laid down on her bed.

"To be honest, I don't remember a lot from those times. All I can remember, vividly, was my time spent in that mercenary group I traveled with. Tara always told me that I had a habit of making weird gadgets. Some of them weren't always successful. That's also how I managed to make this thing." She said pointing to her crossbow.

"I wish my life was that entertaining. Where I grew up, it was nothing but rules and restraints." Lydia said rolling onto her stomach.

"Was your family rich or something?" Diana asked.

"No, they just didn't want me getting into any trouble or exposing our little hide away. The only other child I was allowed to see was Rudi." Lydia said.

"Why didn't they want any one finding them?" Diana asked.

"Because they were afraid that their race's blood feud with the giants might catch up with them. But luckily when we decided to leave, they didn't seem to mind, They actually seemed very understanding." Lydia responded. "But sometimes, I kind of miss them."

**Boys rooms**

"So Rudi? What was life like in yours and Lydia's families?" Toran asked.

"Boring but safe." Rudi responded plainly. Rudi settled for sitting against the wall because the beds were too small.

"Care to elaborate?" Toran asked trying to break the ice.

"…"

"Well… Life at the school wasn't always a walk in the park either! There were exams, projects… The occasional experiment gone wrong." An image of Cleo passed through his mind. Immediately, his expression went from someone nervous to break the ice to one of sorrow. "But there were people there to always help you along the way, even if they aren't there for very long.." Rudi simply grunted in response. "You really aren't one for conversation are you?" Toran complained.

Just then the door to their room was kicked open and Sol walked in with a rather worn out look on his face. "How's it going? Never mind I don't care." Sol slammed himself face down on a bed.

"Well me and Rudi were explaining stuff about our pasts and-"

"I said I don't care." Sol snapped.

"What's up with you?" Toran asked.

"I drank some kind of strange new potion made by Dilys, the healer of this town, and I think it messed something up. Bad." Sol said, his expression turning sour. "And then I tried an 'exotic' recipe that Caitin, the girl who runs the grocery, gave me and that messed something up even more. And to top it all off, I think I ate some kind of rotten fruit at Malcolm's general store… at least I think it was fruit."

"Do you put any thought into your actions outside of combat?" Toran said, not believing what he just heard. Sol merely shook his head and soon passed out.

**The next day**

Diana and Lydia waited at the road leading to Sidhe Sneachta. "What's taking them so long?" Diana said looking at a small pocket watch she had bought.

Lydia looked down the hill and saw 2 figures approaching. As the figures approached, they became more focused to reveal Toran with Rudi who was carrying Sol over his shoulder. "This again?" She said. Rudi merely grunted as he stood Sol up like a cardboard cut out.

Sol swaggered a bit and almost fell over if Diana didn't move in to catch him. "What's wrong with him?" She exclaimed.

"He ate a lot of bad things last night." Toran said.

"Well, this is just perfect! We walk all this way and now we have to postpone the trip thanks to a little stomach flu!?" Lydia exclaimed.

"N-no… Keep going…" Sol slurred as he barely managed to stand up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Diana asked. Sol nodded and the group, hesitantly, began their journey up the mountain.

________________________________________________________________________

**Sidhe sneachta knight camp**

"It's just you and me now sir." Kai and his captain were sitting across from each other at the center of the camp eating the portion of food they were allowed to have. The tension between them actually sort of hurt. Captain Soma retained a calm, indifferent look while Kai had one of obvious determination. _"Please, oh merciful goddess, please let this be the day we go home."_ he prayed in his mind. "Not to be disrespectful sir, but maybe it's about time we just pack up now before-"

"Captain! Captain!" A scout emerged from the bushes, out of breath and sweating. "The target… The target has just been sighted … approaching the road nearby…" The Scout then sat down and started to relax.

Captain Soma smiled slightly as he got up and began to mobilize the troops. Kai simply sat there in his seat, speechless. Another low ranking soldier approached him from behind and spoke. "Sir, Should we mobilize as well?"

"Yes! Get to your positions!" Kai snapped, his voice full of rage. As the soldier ran off Kai's anger turned to despair. "Just when I was about to go home…" Kai grabbed his gear and went off to join his unit.

________________________________________________________________________

Sol was beginning to feel much better now, there was still that occasional aching but it was much less severe. Sol was more focused, however, on the movement in the trees and bushes in the cliffs around the snowy landscape. _"Looks like an ambush."_ Sol looked back to see the others had noticed as well. _"Looks like the others have caught on, better be ready."_ Along the way, Sol thought he saw a flash of red. "Soma?"

Just behind him, Lydia made sure her armor was secure, Rudi grabbed the handle of his mace twisting the part of the handle that made the drills spin to make sure it was functioning properly. Toran recited several magical formulas in his head to make sure he remembered them all, while Diana simply made sure her arrow canisters were easy to reach.

________________________________________________________________________

Captain Soma darted from tree to tree on his side of the forest lining the trail. _"Looks like they know."_ He observed as he saw them all fiddling with something on their person. His eyes then rested on Sol. _"Sol… Today, I'll have my revenge."_ Soma looked at the half of the forest across the trail and saw Sera and her group stalking the target as well. Sera and Soma nodded to each other and proceeded to stalk Sol's group.

"This sucks…" Kai muttered under his breath as he saw Sol's group approaching through his binoculars. He turned to the small squad of archers behind him. "As soon as they enter the clearing start firing but avoid the white haired one. The captain wants some quality time with him." The archers prepared their arrows and aimed down the trail.

"Sir, They're approaching the clearing where Lt. Kai's group is waiting. Should we attack now?" A soldier asked Captain Soma.

"Not just yet, wait until They're in the optimal position. Seconds ticked by but each felt like an eternity. Eventually Sol's group reached the vary boundaries of the clearing and stopped. Sol knelt down and punched his fist into the ground. "Oh no…" Soma muttered as he stood up.

"Sir! Should we-" The soldier was cut off as he was impaled through the stomach by a giant black spike.

"Damn!" Captain Soma stepped back as another spike rose up and almost pierced his skull. He saw that similar events were happening to Sera's and Kai's groups. "Well… didn't know he could do that now…" Soma continued to dodge spikes and headed towards Kai's battle group as Sera did the same.

________________________________________________________________________

"What did you do?" Diana said as she heard the screams and orders from the woods around them. And saw the huge black spikes occasionally rise above the trees.

"Just a little insurance." Sol grunted. His hand had completely merged with the ground and the markings on his arm glowed and extended into the earth below. Eventually Sol pulled out his arm and stood up. "Let's go see how our new friends are doing now shall we?" Sol's eyes briefly turned yellow but quickly turned back to their natural blue color. _"Can't overdo it with my abilities. I can't lose control again." _By this time, Lydia, Rudi, Toran, and Diana had all prepared their weapons and kept their sited trained on the trees.

As the group neared the clearing Sol called out. "All right! That's enough of this game! Come out, all of you!" Sol then felt a slight rumbling underneath him and stepped back in time to avoid a large blade of light extending out of the ground. Sol skidded on the ground and saw that the whole clearing was being pierced by the beams of light. "beaten at my own game…" Sol leaped and spun back and fourth to avoid the blades while the others did the same. Sol then leaped high into the air and then all the beams of light converged on him. "So that's how he wants to play it." Sol pulled out his blade and it started to glow. Sol swung and a wave of dark energy flayed out and struck several beams of light, neutralizing as they rose. He swung again and again destroying each beam of light that tried to get at him. Sol then landed on his feet and grinned. "Is that all you've got!? Come out and face us!" As soon as Sol finished his statement he brought his sword up again, splitting an arrow in half.

Afterwards, Several knights emerged from the trees and in the center of it all a young woman, no older than 20, with a spear attached to her back, a white robe with a blue cross sewed in to the shoulder and right breast. She had a black hair and clear brown eyes. Then another young man with high class leather armor and spiky silver hair, a blue cross was painted on his right shoulder. With a visor covering his eyes. And between them, a young man no older than 20 stepped into the light. He had black hair and red eyes, He wore sparkling white armor with a blue cross painted on his chest, a white claymore strapped to his back.

"So… how are we going to do this?" Kai asked. "Are you going to come quietly or do we get to have some fun?" Kai looked directly at Sol but the would be fugitive was focused solely on Captain Soma and vice versa. "Sir?"

"Sol. It's been a long time. Tell me, How have you been?" Captain Soma said in a mocking tone.

"Just fine, I guess. I'm fit as ever." Sol said his expression not matching his tone.

"That's good. I want this moment to last." Soma drew his blade while Sol drew his . "Why don't we take this to someplace a little more private?"

"Sounds good to me." Sol's expression grew more focused.

"Sir? What are you planning?" Sera asked.

"Sol, what are you doing?" Diana asked her friend.

"Kai, Sera. Do what you want with the others but Sol is mine. I'll leave command of your respective units up to you." Captain Soma lifted his arm up to his chest and made a cutting motion in the air and dissolved into a beam of light.

"Everyone, I don't care what you do just don't interrupt me." Sol lifted his arm and was engulfed in a cloud of darkness. This left Diana, Toran, Lydia and Rudi to face down an entire brigade of knights.

Kai aimed his bow at Diana and Sera pointed her spear at Toran. In unison the 2 lieutenants yelled "Attack!" As the 2 leaped forward so did their subordinates. The others simply braced themselves for attack.

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Soma and Sol appeared in a large clearing. They could hear the sounds of swords and metal clashing against each other as their teams did battle. They knew this and didn't care. All either of them cared about was defeating the other and move on.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Sol. How long I've waited to take my revenge." Soma glared at his former comrade.

"That's what this is about? Took you long enough to get ready, It's been almost four years since I last saw you." Sol said in a mocking tone. "What, where you on vacation or something?"

Soma gritted his teeth in fury. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face!!" Soma pointed at Sol. "You have no right to be taking it easy and relaxing when I've been suffering!"

"Geez was it really that bad? If I had known I would've sent you some encouraging gift cards or something." Sol continued to taunt the knight captain.

By this time Soma was done playing around. "Enough! I can see that this conversation isn't going anywhere." Soma pulled out his claymore. "This is the end for you." Soma brought his Sword to bare.

"If only you realized how wrong that statement was." Soma readied his Katana. "There's a different destiny planned for both of us Soma. No matter what happens today, you can't kill me." Soma grinned.

"We'll see…" Soma leaped into the air and turned his blade upside down and attempted to bring it down on Sol. As he landed, Sol stepped back and leaped to the left as Soma used the sword as leverage to launch a powerful kick. Soma pulled his sword out of the ground and swung as hard as he could, creating a large wave of energy charging towards Sol. Sol swung equally as hard and neutralized the blast. Sol then leaped forward and slashed his blade diagonally only to be blocked by Soma's armored arm. Soma then grabbed Sol's blade and attempted to stab him with his claymore. Sol moved his stomach to the left just in time to barely dodge the claymore and leaped up and kicked Soma in the gut while still holding on to his Katana. Soma was sent skidding backwards and forced to let go of the blade. The 2 charged at each other again, their blades sparking as they grinded against each other. Soma broke off from the lock and delivered a powerful swing. Sol stepped back to dodge it and stepped back again to avoid a kick and again to avoid the blade. Soma was using a pattern of powerful swings and fast kicks to get at Sol, and it was starting to work. Sol was soon put on the defensive and began to step back and lose ground. Just before his next blade swing, Soma channeled energy into his blade and as Sol's Katana connected with his claymore, he released the energy and sent Sol flying backwards and down a small hill.

Sol continued to roll down, occasionally hitting a rock or shrub that happened to be in his way. Eventually he came to a stop and smashed into a snowman. "Wh-what the hell?" Sol stared at the head, and it's empty smile. As Sol staggered up he saw that he was surrounded by snowmen. "Who the hell makes this crap?" Sol muttered. His body tensed as he heard a crunching sound from behind. He looked and saw nothing. Another sound came from his left. He brought his Katana to bear but still found nothing. "Crap… That armor will give him some camouflage."

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Fire raged across the battlefield as several knights struggled against the four travelers. _"This is insane!"_ Kai thought as he dodged several red tipped arrows. Every area the arrows hit was set ablaze. _"At this rate she'll burn the mountain down!"_ Kai aimed his bow and let the arrow fly, he continued this process while leaping from tree branch to tree branch.

Diana was having a much easier time avoiding arrows but a harder time taking aim. Her target was moving as fast as salmon through a river. _"Damn it! Hold still!_" She fired arrow after arrow and all it did was feed fuel to the fire. Literally.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this so early!" Kai stopped at his next tree branch and quickly took aim. Several lights and symbols flashed across his visor and showed that Diana was locked on as a primary target. Kai grabbed 3 arrows and placed them in the bow. And fired passed Diana. Kai smirked. _"let's see you dodge these."_

"What the hell did he do? That last shot was way off." Diana said as she ducked to avoid the incoming arrows. However she immediately leaped up and saw that the same trio of arrows she dodged had turned around. "What the hell?" She then saw the arrows turn and chase after her again. "Damn it!"

"_How do you __like that?"_ Kai said readying 3 more arrows. _"This visor allows me to lock on to one or more targets and any arrow that I shoot will chase that target down relentlessly until they strike the target or hit another object."_ Kai fired and, almost simultaneously, readied another volley.

"Dammit!" Toran cursed as he blocked another strike from Sera's spear. _"I can't get far enough to cast any spells."_ Toran pushed her back and retreated into the trees. "I hope this works." Toran said channeling a fire spell.

"What's the matter? Can't take a punch?" Sera leaped from tree to tree after Toran channeling an Ice spell to counter Toran's only hers wasn't channeled through her hand but through her spear. The very tip seemed to be engulfed in ice. Toran entered another clearing and launched a fire ball. And Sera thrust her spear and launched an ice shard. The 2 attacks neutralized each other in the air. Sera landed and rolled to dodge a lightning blast From Toran. Sera charged forward and delivered fast, piercing strikes from her spear, each one getting faster and more accurate than the last. Soon Toran was engulfed in a whirlwind of thrusts and spikes.

"_Damn it! She just won't quit!"_ Toran dodged the flurry of strikes and began to see some kind of pattern. _"No way, is it that simple!?"_ Toran saw that each strike was going in a clock pattern. Meaning that if there was a clock in front of Toran the first strike would start from where 12 o'clock would be and the next would be 1 o'clock and so on. _"I've got you…"_ Toran waited until the spear reached the 6 o'clock position Toran stomped his foot down and smashed the spear into the ground stopping the flurry of strikes.

"Damn!" Sera cursed. Toran then placed a hand on her chest and it began to burn.

"You're done." Toran said and unleashed the flame. Sera was immediately engulfed in a pillar of fire. Toran stepped back and watched it unfold. "I'd better go help the others."

Toran turned around only to have an ice shard shoot past him from behind. "Huh?" Toran looked back to where Sera was to see that she had survived.

Her robe was tattered and burned but that wasn't what Toran was paying attention to. What he was looking at was the sparkling white armor that shown through. "I'm not just some 2-bit mage who can only fight from afar you know." Sera said as she stood up and ripped the remains of her robe off. "I am a lieutenant in captain Soma's brigade! I won't lose to some rogue." Sera readied her spear and charged forward.

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"Grahh!" Sol grunted as he took a fist right in the face and was sent bashing through several snowmen. "Do you have to be so rough? How many peoples snowmen have you killed so far? It's inhumane!" Sol said in mock sympathy.

"Quit your joking!" Soma elbowed Sol in the stomach and then spin kicked him several feet away. Sol coughed up blood. "How? How can you act so playful? So carefree after what you did?" Soma gritted his teeth in rage. "Don't you feel any remorse? Any regret over the lives lost because of you?" Soma released another energy wave at sol and sent him flying backward. "It's because of you that their dead…" An image of all the knights at the manor flashed through Soma's mind. "The captain… Lyna… Shang… and Ceez." an image of Soma, Ceez and Sol arguing in the courtyard flashed through his mind. "But more importantly… You killed _her_!" An image of a young girls smiling face shown in both their minds. "After we took you in, after you swore to protect her until death. You killed my sister." Soma yelled in rage. "YOU KILLED LUNA!!" Soma cried out, his voice echoing. Sol merely stared at him with the same cold expression that he gave him on that horrible, burning night.

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(cue stereotypical cliffhanger music)

And there is the big plot twist slash cliffhanger I'll leave you with until next time. Although I suspect that you saw this one coming when Soma mentioned revenge. But still I'm happy with this chapter and I'll see you all next time.

PS

1) Soma's full name (if you remember) is Soma Hecate (thus meaning Luna's name is Luna Hecate). Both names are names of 2 different moon deities from different mythologies that I'm too lazy to look up at the moment. (In hindsight I should have had everyone calling him Capt. Hecate instead of Capt. Soma)

2) I understand that Kai's visor is a little out of place in Mabinogi but I would just like to say that it isn't exactly mechanical nor does it run on electricity.


	7. Chapter 7

I've realized that I've made a few grammar errors in my story so far. If you're one of the guys who always get's bothered for an out of place comma then I apologize. I just never got the hang of using commas so please bear with me on this. (It's a little embarrassing, considering the fact that I'm a junior in high school)

**Chapter 7: Secrets**

"_Lord Hecate! We found this boy sifting through some of our supplies in the basement." An armored knight said standing at attention in front of his employer and his family. The young boy the knight had next to him had a torn brown shirt, dirty dark green shorts, messy white hair, calm blue eyes, smudged pale skin and looked no older than 8._

"_How did this boy get past the guards and as far as the basement?" Hecate asked. He had slicked back brown hair, a rather small mustache, brown eyes and a brown suit with an olive green under-shirt. His wife also had black hair, a sky blue gown with strange embodiments all over it and sparkling crimson eyes. Standing behind them were their 2 children. A young girl with long black hair and a boy with short black hair. Both of them had their mother's crimson eyes._

"_Um.. Well… you see." The guard stammered and tried to think of a good explanation as to how a young boy managed to get past dozens of armed knights._

"_It wasn't their fault." The boy spoke up. "There was a small hole in your wall that I managed to crawl through. I used it a bunch of times before." This statement sort of relaxed the guard knowing that some of the blame will now be focused on the people in charge of construction._

"_I see…" Hecate said as he looked at the boy and then at the guard. He then walked over and knelt down to the boy's level. "Hello there young man, I'm James Hecate, the owner of this place, and behind me is my Wife, Clara and my sun and daughter. What's you name?"_

"_Sol." The boy replied._

"_Where's your family?"_

"_Don't have one." The boy said._

_Hecate looked at the boy with concern and stood up. "Then how would you like to stay here? That way you wouldn't have to keep on sneaking in and out of here."_

_The boy's face lit up. "Really? You mean it?" _

_Hecate nodded with a smile on his face. "Guard, get this boy some clean clothes and some food. We'll wait in the main hall." As the guard ran off he stood and turned to his Children. "Well? Don't be rude now. Introduce yourselves" He said._

_The son stepped back behind his mothers dress in a shy manner. "Don't be so shy Soma. It's not like he'll bite or anything."_

_Next, the girl stepped forward. "Hello there. I'm Luna and that boy over there is my brother Soma. Welcome to our home." Luna smiled and extended her hand. Sol smiled back and shook it._

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Sol skidded back as he parried another one of Soma's devastating blows. "Why!?" Soma yelled. "Why did you betray us!? My family accepted you without a second thought and you still you destroyed everything we fought for." Soma and Sol's blades clashed against each other again. Soma pushed Sol back and punched him in the gut.

Sol flew back against a tree and fell; he staggered up and coughed up a little blood. "Why do you ask if you know you're going to get the same answer?" Sol grinned. "You wouldn't understand."

Soma snapped and charged forward and leaped into the air. He plunged his blade deep into the ground as Sol dodged his strike. Soma spin kicked Sol away as he got up and moved in for the kill. Soma slashed across Sol's chest as he was still in the air, the blood spraying on his white armor. As Sol crashed to the ground, Soma relaxed his stance. "If you won't give me an answer then that's just fine." He pointed his blade at his enemy. "I'll take my revenge either way." As Soma twitched forward, he saw a black aura surrounding Sol's body. "So… you went this far huh Sol?" Soma commented.

As the aura surrounded Sol, his wound began to close and the aura hardened into armor. Before long, Sol was completely encased in the armor of a rank F black knight. _**"I can go this far without losing it. But I have to wrap this up quick."**_ Sol readied his katana. **"Come and get some." **

Soma grinned. "Very well. I'll fight on your level." Soma's armor seemed to twist and grow as he transformed into a Rank F Paladin. The 2 warriors charged towards each other.

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**Approximately 30 min earlier**

Lydia blocked an attack from one of the knights attacking and grabbed his arm. She picked him up and slammed him, head first, into the ground and dodged another attack from her left. She stomped down on the sword as it went down, breaking the blade and kicked the knight in the face. 3 other knights flew over her head as Rudi smashed through more of them. Before long, the dozen or so knights in the clearing were moaning and/or unconscious on the ground, "These guys were no challenge at all! It's embarrassing what passes as a knight these days. Don't you think so Rudi?" Rudi simply grunted in confirmation. Suddenly, a loud scream was heard in the woods, "That can't be good." Lydia said. A large pillar of fire erupted in another direction. "And I can almost hear the word disaster coming off of that. Rudi, you go towards where that pillar came from and I'll look for the source of the scream." Rudi and Lydia rushed off in the appropriate directions.

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"_This is ridiculous!"_ Toran complained in his head as he dodged another jab from Sera, "You don't mess around do you!?" Toran said as he raised his staff in time to block a swing from Sera's spear.

"It's part of the job." Sera said as she broke off and leaped back. The very tip of her spear became engulfed in flames that shot out as she thrust it forward. Toran summoned a barrier of ice which melted upon contact with the flames, the water splashing all over him.

Toran grinned until he realized that the other end of the spear was glowing yellow with sparks occasionally arcing across the tip, _"A thunder spell! Combine that with…"_ Toran saw the wet trail that lead towards him, "crap…" Sera plunged her spear into the ground and Toran was immediately shocked by several volts of electricity, his hair standing up as the energy shot through his body. When Sera ended her spell Toran slumped to the ground in a heap, smoke rising off his cloak.

"That should teach you not to mess with our brigade." Just then, Sera felt the ground shaking and looked around. "What the hell is that?" Sere found her answer in a large giant wielding a mace with spinning spikes charging out of the forest. Rudi leaped into the air and sung his mace down hard only to hit the ground as Sera leaped back and landed a good 12 feet away from Rudi, "This could be bad…" Sera muttered as Rudi went in for the kill.

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Diana knelt down on her left knee in pain, 2 arrows had pierced her armor and made their way into her side. _"Damn it! This guy's good." _The area that they were fighting in was scorched and burned due to Diana's flame arrows.

Kai looked down on Diana and grinned. "Give up yet? Seriously, if we keep this up there won't even be a forest left." Diana pulled out the canister of arrows in her crossbow and tossed it at Kai. The canister embedded itself in the branch that Kai was standing on. Immediately, Kai leapt off of the branch just as it opened up and sprayed arrows in a huge circle. "And that arrow scatter move is getting really old!" Kai yelled.

Diana placed another canister in her crossbow and aimed at Kai's head. _"Eat this!"_ Diana squeezed the trigger and a dozen arrows shot out. They soon began to glow white, and then split into several more arrows.

"Well that's a new one!" Kai leaped onto another trees branch and attempted to ready 3 more arrows, but stopped as soon as another 12 arrows was launched at him. Kai leaped up but was still caught in the cluster as the 12 quickly split into 48. Kai crashed to the ground, making a small crater in the process.

"Take that you bastard." Diana's confident smile turned into one of shock as Kai stood up.

"Got to love the armor you get in a knight brigade… Great against arrows." Kai said bashing the arrows off of his armor. Kai then readied his arrows but was stopped again as Lydia kicked his head from behind. Kai was sent spiraling through the air into another group of trees behind Diana.

"Lydia, thanks for the help."

"No problem. Now come on, we've got to help the others." Just as Lydia offered her hand to Diana, an arrow whizzed past her face and stuck itself in a tree behind them.

Kai staggered up, rage on his face. "You guys aren't going anywhere." Several lights flashed across Kais visor showing that he had a lock on both Diana and Lydia.

"On second thought… you find a place to take cover. I'll finish this guy." Lydia punched her fists together and charged at Kai.

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Soma's blade clanged on contact with Sol's black armor. Sol grabbed the blade, keeping Soma in place, and attempted to stab Soma's stomach. Soma immediately twisted his blade free of Sol's grip and leap back. Sol grasped his katana with both hands and charged at Soma, their blades creating sparks as they continuously clashed against each other. With each swing, Sol seemed to shift back and forth between seeing the Soma who was trying to kill him and the Soma from before.

The blades connected and Sol heard the sound of 2 wooden swords hitting each other and Soma flashing a confident smile as he tried to get his friend to lose his balance. _"This is the day that I finally beat you Sol!" Soma said as his wooden blade pressed against Sol's._

"_Keep dreaming man. Keep dreaming." Sol said as he broke off and their blades connected again._

"I'll never forgive you!" Soma yelled as he struck at Sol again and again. "Even if you manage to escape me somehow, I'll keep on chasing you and chasing you until one of us lies dead." Soma broke off from the engagement and his blade was engulfed in a bright light.

Sol's katana was, likewise, bathed in a black aura. **"Then go on! Keep chasing me! Keep going as long as you want! This is the fate that the heavens have cast on to us."** Soma and Sol charged at each other, their faces showing unswerving determination. As their blades clashed against each other, the energy stored inside was released on contact. Soma was engulfed by darkness while Sol was bathed in light. The light burned through Sol's armor and disintegrated it in seconds. Somas armor was broken down and crushed to nothingness by the darkness released by Sol. Both combatants were thrown back by the force of the others attack. Sol landed with a thud, his cloak torn and his steel pads were scratched, beaten, and a few were falling off. Soma landed face down in the snow, his armor chipped and worn down.

Sol struggled and, using a nearby tree trunk, stood up and looked at Soma with glaring yellow eyes. Sol grasped his Katana again and stood over his former friend. Aiming to stab Soma's head in, Sol lifted the blade and plunged it down, and then stopped. His eyes softened and turned blue again. _"No… no, not yet… you still have a role to play…"_ Sol turned around and walked on towards the sounds of battle in the distance. _"Sounds like the others might need some help. At this point, I don't know if I'll be able to give it."_ Sol continued to stagger forward.

On a far off tree, a young man with silvery buzz-cut hair, and a white robe observed the battle. Through a pair of binoculars he zoomed in on Sol and then switched over to Soma. "Heh heh heh." He giggled. "Looks like Soma will have more problems to deal with when he gets back to HQ." The man placed the binoculars somewhere in his robe and dashed off into the distance.

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Sera leaped forward to stab at Rudi with her spear only to have it skid of the armor under Rudi's fatigues. "Damn!" Sera flipped in the air and landed on her feet and electricity began to arc across her spear. "Eat this!" Sera turned and stabbed her spear at Rudi only for him to grab it just as the tip of the blade made contact to his armor. "Got you!" Sera sent the electricity through the armor, shocking Rudi repeatedly. Rudi only grunted and lifted the spear (and Sera) up and threw them across the clearing. Sera smashed against a tree and fell to the ground, her spear landing on her lap. _"D-damn it… I knew giants didn't go down easily, but I never thought it was like this." _Sera grabbed her spear and staggered up. _"I can't keep going like this. I have to escape."_ Sera attempted to leap into the forest to make maneuvering for Rudi difficult but found that she couldn't move her legs. "What the-!" Sera saw that her knee and everything below it was frozen. "How?" Sera looked up to see Toran with a glowing hand in the snow and a wide grin on his face.

"Rudi, now!"

Rudi grunted in confirmation and launched himself at Sera to smash her under his mace. "Crap, crap, crap." Sera channeled a fire spell through her spear and jabbed it into the ground and a large pillar of fire erupted around her, forcing Rudi to step back.

"Damn!" Rudi muttered (first thing he said in over 2 chapters.) When the fire died down, all that was left in Sera's position was a few burned trees, a puddle of water, and 2 footprints.

"She got away." Toran said. He looked over at Rudi and saw that he was staring intently at something. Toran looked around and saw nothing. "What is it?" Rudi pointed at Toran's head, or more specifically his hair. "What about my hair?" Toran looked at his reflection in the puddle and saw how every hair strand on his head was standing up.

"…"

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Lydia leaped, rolled and dodged to avoid Kai's arrows but more kept on coming. "Damn it!" Lydia landed on a tree branch and swatted a few arrows out of the air with a fast kick and leaped again. "How the hell do you get a power like that?" Lydia landed and swept the snow around her up, blocking Kai's line of sight momentarily.

"Damn it! That chick is fast…" Kai muttered and looked around, finding nothing. "Crap…" Kai muttered under his breath as he scanned the trees and bushes several times, hoping to catch her before she made her move. Then he heard a snapping sound and leaped back. The branch he was standing on had been shattered by Lydia's uppercut. "There you are!" Kai quickly readied 3 arrows and fired as he locked on to Lydia.

"_Damn! No time to dodge!" _Lydia yelled in her head as Kai's arrows drew closer.

Just as Kai's arrows were about to hit it's mark, they was blown in half by another 3 arrows. "What!?" Kai exclaimed and looked to see Diana with bandages wrapped around her chest. A sharp pain shot through Kai as Lydia kicked him in the ribs, mid air. As Kai crashed to the ground, Diana shot 3, yellow-tipped arrows into the dented area in Kai's armor, piercing it effortlessly. "Damn it… forgot about…you." Kai muttered before he was shocked with hundreds of volts of lightning.

As Kai passed out, Lydia rushed over to Diana who had done a very sloppy job of stopping patching herself up. "Diana, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just… cold." Diana seemed to drift back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Hey, hey! Stay with me!" Lydia said patting Diana's cheeks to wake her up. "Damn it." Lydia carefully picked Diana up and walked out of the forest. _"If I remember correctly, Rudi should have gone…that way."_ Lydia said as she headed off to where Sera and Toran battled.

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Sol staggered along the trail, cold, shivering, and having absolutely no idea where he was heading. "Oh man… How the hell did I end up here?" Sol saw nothing but snow and trees to his left and right. He didn't even know if he was even on an actual trail or a ditch that was made here a long time ago. Sol also heard the crunching of snow in the tree lines and soft growls and yellow eyes. _"great… as if I didn't have enough trouble."_ Sol began to walk along the trail, eyeing the trees around him constantly. Soon his walking turned into a run, going faster and faster. The eyes that have been tracking him were keeping up pretty well. _"Damn it! I'm not going to die as lunch for some damn coyotes!" _Sol eventually stopped as about 3 of the aforementioned hounds jumped in front of him, snarling and revealing their sharp fangs. Sol was about to turn around when another 7 leaped in behind him. "All right… If that's how you want it…" Sol pulled out his Katana and got into the best stance he could, in his weakened state. The first 3 coyotes charged in began to bite and claw at Sol. One jumped in to soon and was sliced in half by Sol's blade while another managed to clamp down on Sol's arm. "Gyahhh!" Sol screamed in pain as the coyotes fangs dug deep into his flesh while the other coyote took a swipe with his claws, creating 3 long cuts on Sol's exposed back. Grunting, Sol punched the coyote who had bit into his arm straight in the nose and kicked away the one who had scratched him. By this time the other 7 coyotes tried to get in on the fray. Sol ducked as one leapt at him and landed behind. He then slashed at another 2 who tried a similar tactic only to get sliced in half like the first one. Another one dashed in and bit down on Sol's ankle, and was stabbed in the head as a reward for his efforts. As Sol pulled out his Katana the same coyote Sol had punched bit at his hand and forced Sol to let go of the Katana. This time, Sol grabbed the coyote by the throat and broke it's neck, tossing it at the pack that was slowly surrounding him. _"This is bad… These guys are giving me more trouble than Soma did." _Sol looked around frantically for an opening.

Suddenly the coyote pack looked scared and dashed off into the trees. "What's going on?" Sol looked down and saw a shadow cast over him. He turned around and saw a bear staring straight at him. "Holy sh-" Sol staggered back and tripped over one of the coyotes corpses. Shifting backwards Sol reached around and found his Katana. He pointed it at the bear, hoping to scare it off. "Stay back you son of a bitch!" Sol yelled. The bear seemed to not notice him, sniffing the dead coyotes. "What does it want?" Sol muttered. The bear then looked straight at him and got closer. Sol tensed as the bear sniffed him all over and looked right in his eyes. Sol looked back and saw no intent to kill him like most bears usually do. For some reason, Sol felt relaxed. The bear began to look more closely at Sol, mostly at his arms. On the left arm, the bear saw wave and swirl like markings, while on the right, the bear saw markings that looked like a maze. The bear's face lit up and he stepped back and began to draw letters in the snow. Sol staggered up, sheathed his Katana, clasped the arm that was bit by the coyote, and looked at the letters the bear was writing. "T-Tarlach?" Sol said as the bear finished. Sol and the bear looked at each other again. "What does 'Tarlach' mean?" Sol asked the bear, knowing full well that he wouldn't get an answer. The bear simply snorted. "Tarlach…" Sol said again. "Wait! Do you know a way out of here? I'm kind of lost…" Sol asked again. _"I'm talking to a bear… not my best idea."_ The bear walked over to a small bush and began to scratch at something. When it was done it motioned for Sol to come over. When Sol walked over he saw an old sign that said "This way to town." in red paint. Sol swatted the bushes away and saw a small, out of the way, side path that must've been long forgotten over the years. "Whoa… Uh… thanks!" Sol said. The bear simply walked off.

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"Toran! Rudi! Where are you guys?" Lydia called as she went in the direction that she and Rudi saw the large pillar of fire. Diana was bleeding heavily and her mediocre bandage work did little to stop the blood flow. Eventually Lydia reached the clearing and saw Rudi and Toran standing on the far edge. "Toran! I need you help. Diana is-" Lydia stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Toran who's hair looked like a really bad afro.

"Don't. Say. Anything." Toran said with a scowl on his face. His look turned into concern when he saw a bloody Diana in Lydia's arms. "What the hell happened?" Toran motioned for Lydia to set Diana down, carefully.

"Remember that freak with the visor? He got in a few good shots." Lydia responded as she rested Diana down in front of Toran.

"Well, it's a good thing you got her here this fast. It looks like I'll be able to get most of the ground work done." Toran said as he used a healing spell to stop the bleeding in Diana's side. "After this, all we have to do is let her rest."

"That's good to hear… For a second there, I thought she was a goner." Lydia sighed in relief.

"Hey, do you have a feeling that we forgot something?" As Toran finished his last question a loud yelling was heard in the distance.

"Guys!…. Diana!? Toran!? Anybody!?" Sol's voice rang out across the area. "I found what I was looking for!"

"That sounds like Sol!" Lydia said.

"He must be nearby. Could one of you go and find him? I've still got some work to do hear." Toran asked. Lydia and Rudi dashed off to where Sol's voice was coming from.

Sol staggered into a small clearing just in time to see Lydia and Rudi appear in the distance. "Hey!" He called out. "Where are the others?" Sol asked as they 3 drew closer.

"Another clearing, a few yards that way." Lydia said, pointing southward.

"I see… Well, let's hurry. I found what we needed here."

"What was it?" Lydia asked.

"It's a long story."

________________________________________________________________________

Sera dashed across the forest with blinding speed, searching for her colleagues. _"All I found were the recruits. Where are Kai and the Captain!?"_ As if on cue, Sera saw Kai face down in the snow, next to a burned tree. "Kai? What's wrong? Wake up!" Sera nudged Kai a few times with the butt of her spear. When she only got a few slurred words as a response, Sera whacked Kai over the head.

"Ow… What the hell was that for!?" Kai said rubbing his head.

"Enough complaining, Where's the Captain?" Sera asked.

"How the hell should I know? And why should I care? He just dumped both of us on the enemy and now look what happened." Kai said in an annoyed tone. "Our unit is completely decimated and I just got shocked by an ungodly amount of lightning."

Sera snapped and slammed Kai against a nearby tree. "I've had it up to here with your constant whining!" She yelled in rage. "Almost all that you've done on this mission is complain! You're a knight, damn it, start acting like one! Besides, the Captain was responsible for saving, not just yours, but both our asses several times before!"

"Get off me!" Kai pushed Sera away. "Calm down already! Geez, you thought I was being serious!?" Kai brushed off some of the dirt on his armor. "Wherever the captain is, I'm pretty sure he's somewhere up north. I heard a little commotion up there while I was fighting that blue haired chick."

"That won't be necessary…" a voice said from the shadows.

Sera and Kai turned around to see their Captain staggering out of the trees and collapsing on the ground. "Captain!" They both exclaimed, and rushed to his aid.

"Captain, what happened to you?" Kai said in astonishment at the damage done to his CO.

"Did you finish your business with Sol?" Sera asked as she propped Soma against a tree and began to prep healing spells.

"No… No I didn't." Soma said in a depressed tone. "After 4 years of waiting. 4 years of preparing. I still couldn't do anything. Just like back then…" Soma said with a trembling voice, clenching his fists. Sera and Kai exchanged looks.

"Permission to speak freely sir?" Sera asked.

"Granted."

"What exactly happened 'back then'?" Sera asked. "You still haven't explained to us why we're even out here, chasing these people."

Soma looked at Sera, seeing the concern in her eyes. "I'll tell you once we get back to HQ in Emain Macha." Soma said.

"Well good luck. We have several wounded soldiers out there in the clearing and I don't think Sera has the energy to heal everyone." Kai stated.

"No problem." Soma reached into his armor and pulled out a wax wing. "Head over to the others and we'll use this goddess ring to teleport to Emain Macha."

Kai looked at the wing in surprise. "Are you telling me you had that this whole time and we still hade to walk halfway across the continent!?"

"I only have one use left and I can't get them very easily. Now enough talking and let's head out." Sera helped Soma stand up and slung his arm around her to give support. Kai went over and did the same for the other side. "And one last thing." Soma said. "Thank you, both of you." Sera blushed slightly while Kai simply let a small smile spread across his face.

________________________________________________________________________

**Meanwhile, Osna Sail Pass**

"I always hated coming through here…" Shaosu muttered as he adjusted the scarf around his neck. "I can't tell if Sidhe Sneachta or Osna Sail is colder." Shaosu shivered. "How're you holding up!?" Shaosu yelled over the wailing winds to Nao who was following just a few feet behind.

"I'm fine. It's just…" Nao stumbled and her foot almost slipped off the edge. "Is this the only way?"

"It's the fastest way! You're the one who wanted to get to Emain Macha in under a week." Shaosu retorted. Shaosu heard movement in the upper cliffs and saw a few dire wolves up above. Shaosu flashed his claymore and that was enough to keep them from attacking. "I _really _hate coming through here…" Shaosu muttered.

After a few more hours Shaosu came across a poorly constructed sign that read "Emain Macha." and an arrow pointing down the pass. "Are we almost there?" Nao asked.

"Yeah!" Shaosu began to walk faster and Nao soon followed.

**Emain Macha**

"What do you mean he isn't here yet!?" Shaosu slammed his hands on the table. "I just spent a week traveling through one of the most brutal locations in the continent and Captain Soma isn't even done with the mission yet!?" Shaosu and Nao were inside the lobby of a relatively small, 2 story recruitment center for those wishing to join the knights.

"We haven't received any reports from him in the last 3 days, Shaosu." Craig said with a slightly irritated tone. "We're preparing a search party now, but unless he just appears out of nowhere you either join the search party or wait here at HQ." As soon as craig finished his statement a large white flash was seen outside and a loud thump was heard.

Kai and Sera burst through the door, holding an unconscious Captain between them. "Commander, we need immediate medical help! We have wounded!" Kai looked at Shaosu with surprise. "Oh! Hey Shaosu!"

Craig rubbed his temple in frustration. "For some reason… I felt this coming right as I finished that last sentence." Craig looked at Soma and then outside to see several knights unconscious in the middle of the street. A carriage almost crashed into a tree when it rounded the corner. "(sigh)… Get these men some medical treatment ASAP! I'll deal with them later." Craig said heading to his office on the second floor.

Several healers and medical officers came out into the streets with stretchers to carry the wounded soldiers. Shaosu stared, contemptuously, at his captain. Wondering what he could possibly know what happened to his brother. "Captain…"

"So, Shaosu!" Kai swung his arm, hard, around shaosu, bringing him in close enough to whisper. "So, where'd you pick up a beauty like her anyway?" Kai said with a sly grin, pointing to girl with Rose colored hair behind them. "Did you do this whole mission just so you could sneak away and pick up chicks?" Kai said snickering.

"W-what!? No!" Shaosu shoved Kai away, blushing slightly. "You have no idea what happened so don't go making any assumptions!"

"Then why did you suddenly disappear on us then? If the captain finds out that you've been keeping secrets then you're really in for it!"

Shaosu then remembered something Nao told him._ "If you want to know more, Talk to your captain." _"Yeah… well, maybe I'm not the only one keeping secrets." Shaosu said in a more serious tone.

"So what _is_ your name anyway?" Sera said after getting tired of sitting on the sidelines.

"Na-Naomi" Nao replied with a smile.

"Well then, Naomi. How did you meet with Shaosu anyway?" Sera asked.

"Well…" Nao looked over at Shaosu who was silently pleading her not to tell them he slept in. "You see… I asked him to escort me to Bangor!" Nao lied. "I wanted to visit a friend there and Shaosu agreed."

"Is that true Shaosu?" Kai asked in an over-the top, detective voice.

"Uh…Y-yeah! That's right." Shaosu nervously agreed.

"Hm… then in that case, I deem you a sucker for a cute face, and I'm ashamed to call you a man." Kai teased. Shaosu simply stuck up his middle finger in response and mouthed the words "thank you" to Nao when the others weren't looking.

"So then what are you doing here?" Sera asked.

"Um… well after I visited my friend… I…"

"She wanted to see Emain Macha, and since I was heading over here anyway I thought I'd take her with me." Shaosu explained.

"Hm… alright, I believe you. But you could've at least sent a messenger owl explaining your situation." Sera reprimanded Shaosu.

"Yes sir." Shaosu responded.

One of the healers soon appeared from the back of the small infirmary. "Your captain should recover in time, but he's resting right now. If you have anything to say to him, you'll have to wait a while." The healer then retreated back into the infirmary to see to the others.

"_Damn it!"_ Shaosu thought. _"I travel all this way and I still can't talk to him?_" Shaosu clenched his fists.

Nao looked at Shaosu in concern. "Sha-" Nao was interrupted by Kai as heswung his arm around her. "Well, now that we have some down time, why don't we head out to eat? My treat!" Kai turned to shaosu. "And by 'my' I of course mean Shaosu's treat!"

Shaosu was brought back to reality with this. "What!? Not again!"

Kai moved over next to shaosu. "C'mon man help me out ! I'm broke!"

"Screw you! You still owe me from last time!"

"Aw c'mon! Don't be so stingy!"

________________________________________________________________________

**Meanwhile**

"A bear… You expect us to believe that a bear told you the all important clue to stop Cichol's army?" Lydia asked skeptically.

"That's basically it, yes." Sol said calmly. The entire group was walking down the mountain towards Tir Chonail. Diana was resting as Rudi carried her safely through the snow.

"How do you expect us to believe that!?" Toran yelled.

"I just don't see why you can't believe this." Sol said in an exasperated tone. "We've been attacked by black knights, Paladins, demons, wolves, and I just got my left arm bitten to pieces by Coyotes, and you're fixated on an unusually intelligent bear." Sol yelled and pointed at the sling his arm was in.

"I guess you have a point… But what could Tarlach possibly mean?" Lydia said wondering.

"I'll ask Chief Duncan when we get to town. He should have info on it." Sol said.

"_Tarlach… That name sounds so familiar to me…"_ Toran thought silently to himself.

"Do you know the one thing that still bugs me though?" Sol asked Toran.

"What?"

"How the hell did you get your hair fixed so fast? When we got there you dashed off somewhere and when you came back your hair was fixed." Sol said pointing at Toran's neatly designed hair. "It's almost like nothing happened to it."

"Well, that's something for me to know and for you to forget about." Toran said smiling.

"Aw c'mon! You can tell me! Do you use some kind of gel?" Sol said pleading.

"Nope!"

"Then what?"

"I'm not telling." The argument continued back and forth until finally Diana woke up.

"SHUT UP!" Diana used the butt of her crossbow and whacked Sol and Toran on the head. The group was quiet for the rest of the trip.

**Tir chonail**

"What in the world?…" Duncan stared at the group of travelers in front of him. Mostly at Sol and Diana.

"It's a long story." Sol said scratching the back of his head. Sol then sat down with Duncan and filled him in on the events that transpired up in the mountain. The rest of the group had decided to wait back at the inn.

"I see. So after your battle with the knights, you came into contact with a bear that wrote Tarlach in the snow?" Duncan asked.

"Yup, that's pretty much it." Sol said shrugging his shoulders. "Now, do you know what the word Tarlach means?" Sol asked.

"It's a name, actually. The name of one of the 3 legendary warriors." Duncan stated.

"Legendary warriors?"

"A long time ago, there were 3 warriors who went in search of a land called Tir Na Nogg. However, somewhere along the line, the 3 adventurers disappeared and were never heard from again. Tarlach was the name of one of those 3 warriors."

"What is Tir Na Nogg?" Sol asked, intrigued.

"No one really knows. However, some scholars believe it is an absolute paradise where nothing bad ever happens. Speak to Lassar if you want to know more." Duncan said.

"I see. Well, thank you for the information Chief Duncan. I'd better hurry, it's getting late." As Sol walked out the door Duncan looked down at Sol's shadow. What he saw was not the shadow of a young man, but of a horned demon ready to attack.

"_Sometimes… I can't tell if I should trust this boy."_ Duncan stared at Sol through his window.

**At the School**

Sol stepped through the door leading to the Magic Classroom (man that sounded lame) and saw Lassar organizing several books. "Excuse me!" Lassar seemed to pay little attention to what was going on. "Excuse me!" Lassar jumped and looked at Sol. "You're Lassar, the magic teacher right?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that. I was just taking care of some last minute cleaning. So what can I do for you?" Lassar asked.

"chief Duncan said you might know something about the 3 missing warriors." Sol said.

"You mean that old legend? Sorry, I don't really know all that much. Try talking to Stewart in Dunbarton. He apparently did a report on it about half a year ago." Lassar said.

"I see… Thanks." As Sol left the school grounds, he let out an exasperated sigh. "I have to go all the way back to Dunbarton? This whole adventure is like one giant circle." Sol walked off towards the Inn.

**Piaras Inn**

"Hey I'm back." Sol walked in through the Inn door. Piaras and Nora were talking about something when he came in.

"Oh! Sol, your friends are upstairs, 3rd room on the left." Piaras gestured upstairs.

"Right I'll see you later."

As Sol opened the door, he burst in with a cheer. "He guys, I got the info I needed, we just have to go to Dunbarton for a bit." all his friends gave him a strange look. "What's with the look guys?" Sol said nervously

"Sol, we've been talking and we've decided that it's time you came clean." Toran said.

"What do you mean come clean?" Sol asked genuinely confused.

"When we were attacked by Vulcan in Dunbarton, That knight knew you, and before that you told me about how you used to be part of a group of knights that was supposed to protect some girl." Diana pointed out.

"And recently, We were assaulted by a group of Paladins who's captain seemed to be after you specifically. He also seemed to have a personal vendetta as well." Toran said.

"So basically if you want us to continue this journey, you need to answer this. Who are you, Sol? Who are you really? And what happened before?" Lydia finished. Rudi grunted in response.

Sol's expression turned grim. "I guess I can't hide it anymore."

________________________________________________________________________

**Emain Macha, Paladin recruitment center**

"I can't believe I ended up paying anyway." Shaosu opened his wallet to find nothing but a few silver coins. "I'm broke again." the 3 paladins and Nao had decided to go see the sights in Emain Macha and were forced (kinda) to use Shaosu's wallet to pay off the restaurant they visited

"Aw c'mon, don't be so glum! It was for a good cause." Kai said with a slurr in his voice.

Shaosu tensed up in rage. "Why I let you talk me into these things I'll never know" Shaosu was about to pull out his claymore when the same healer from earlier came in.

"Excuse me for interrupting but, you captain has fully healed and you may visit him if you wish." The healer then disappeared as quickly as she came.

"Does anyone else find her a little creepy…" Kai commented.

Shaosu paid him no heed as he darted up the stairs towards his captains personal room. The other 3 soon followed. Shaosu kicked down the door and saw Captain Soma sitting up in his bed with a surprised look on his face.

"What is the meaning of this!" Soma yelled before shaosu walked up next to him.

"You've been hiding something and I want to know what." Shaosu demanded.

"I don't know what you're-"

"What happened to my brother?" Shaosu asked. "What do you know about my brother's death?"

"Who told you about that?" Soma asked.

"Naomi told me you'd know." Shaosu gestured to the girl behind him. "I also met Sol in Bangor."

"You what!?" Soma tried to stand up but sat back down due to his injuries.

"Naomi told me that he had something to do with Ceez's death and that you know. So captain, please tell me, what happened to my brother?" Shaosu said.

Soma looked at Naomi and stared for a long time. _"How could this girl possibly know that, unless…"_ Soma's eyes widened with shock. "Heh, heh…" Soma chuckled. "She her isn't she. The guardian of the soul stream, Nao Mariota Pryderi." Soma stated.

Sera and Kai stared at Naomi and stepped back in shock. Kai's face turned to horror when he realized the gravity of his actions earlier in the day.

"If that's the case, then I have no choice but to tell you." Soma said calming down a bit. "you know the general details of your brothers death right?"

"That he was killed when the manor that he was working in was burned to the ground right?" Shaosu answered.

"Yes, and did you know that there were 2 survivors of that horrible day?" Soma looked as Shaosu nodded. "The truth is, Me and Sol are those 2 survivors." Soma stated. "And Sol was the reason why everything went to hell."

"Why where you even there?" shaosu asked. "Why would you go to such a remote place? The manor wasn't even listed on most maps at the time."

"The lord of the manor, James Hecate, my father, needed protection from a certain enemy that plagued our family as well as the several guards that were already there. You see, in remote areas like where the manor was there is little to no chance that it would be attacked regularly by bandits and the like, but there was something even worse that threatened it. Every month a large group of Fomors would attempt to break into the castle, and with each month, the soldiers hired to protect the manor would lose several men in the process. But one day, The attacks became more vicious and frequent. That is when everything started going downhill."

________________________________________________________________________

And that's where we'll leave off for now. The next chapter (or 2) will be like one giant flashback so get ready.

PS: I put in a line from the machinima series Red vs. Blue. Kudos to those of you who find it.

Well, see you next time.


	8. Chapter 8

Since this chapter is like a giant flashback I'll just say this. Both Sol and Soma are telling this story so there will be events in the story that one or the other (or both) were not aware of.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 8: Moon**

"And you're sure about this?" Craig said as he sat in his office. The moon offering just enough light to allow Craig to see his top scouting officer.

"Positive, sir. If we let Soma do as he pleases a repeat of today's incident will happen again." A young man in a grey robe and silvery buzz cut hair stood in front of Craig's desk. A fluted short sword and a pair of binoculars hung at his side.

"Very well, thank you for the information Lieutenant Sai." Craig Saluted as Sai did the same. Sai then turned and walked toward the door, grinning as he did so.

**Soma's room**

"Why? Why did you hide this from me?" Shaosu asked with gritted teeth.

"I didn't want you to… I didn't want you to be consumed by revenge!" Soma looked down. "I didn't want you to become like me."

"What are you saying?" Shaosu said, his expression turning curious.

"I should probably start from the beginning. It was about a day or 2 before your brother joined up. It was the day my mother died."

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras Inn**

"The lord of the manor, James Hecate, was under constant threat. Every month or so, a few dozen Fomors would attack the manor and it would take its toll on the people there." Sol explained.

"Why not just leave then?" Toran asked. "Why couldn't you just abandon the Manor altogether?"

"Firstly, because it wasn't the manor they were after, it was someone inside, if we left all they would have done is chase us down. Secondly, the reason why they only attacked once a month is because there was a barrier set in place that would keep the Fomors out, and every 30 days it would weaken and let a bunch of them in. The barrier was also a double edged sword. Not only did it keep them out but it also kept us in. If we had to leave, we would have to lift the barrier and expose everyone. We could only allow 1 or 2 people in or out at a time without completely lifting the barrier."

"Then how did you hire other guards to help you?" Toran asked.

"Very rarely, someone would luckily avoid the Fomors and stop by to trade. We usually asked them either to join us or to tell others about our situation. Usually they didn't get very far. But there were enough that went through to keep us in good shape in terms of Soldiers."

"Why didn't the knights from other towns help you?" Lydia asked this time.

"Our Manor was really out of the way, most never even heard of us. The knights were to busy with other problems to start stumbling around through the woods to look for some out of the way manor." Sol took a deep breath. "Now that the initial questions are out of the way, I suppose it's time I started at the beginning. When the lords wife died."

________________________________________________________________________

_**7 years ago, Unknown Location, Sol: age 14**_

_The sky was filled with gray clouds as the rain poured mercilessly down on the funeral service. The body of James Hecate's wife, Clara, rested peacefully in the coffin as it was lowered into the graveyard which was located on an island in a small lake right next to the manor, but just within the barriers limits. James Hecate simply stared, silently as the casket was buried, his children standing at his side. Soma was chocking back sobs while Luna simply stared at the ground. As the priest spoke the eulogy, Sol merely stared with no emotion at the casket. Clara had died during the previous raid when one of the stragglers managed to sneak by. Sol was right there as Clara was struck down and he couldn't do anything. _

"Damn it!"_ Sol thought to himself_ "If only I was more alert…"_ Sol clenched his fists in frustration at his incompetence, and his inability to protect the woman who was practically his mother for the past 5 years._

_As the crowd dispersed, the people returning to their daily routines to keep the are fortified, the remaining Hecates and Sol remained. As James and his 2 children walked off, Sol stopped them. "My lord! Please wait!" Sol said catching up to them._

_James turned around and looked at Sol. The past five years had begun to take their toll on the man. A few wrinkles could be spotted across the mans face and his brown hair had a few streaks of gray running through it. "What is it my boy?" He asked as though nothing was wrong._

_Sol gritted his teeth and knelt down on one knee, keeping his head down. "My Lord! Lady Hecate was killed when it was my responsibility to keep her safe!" a few tears began to well up at the corners of Sol's eyes. "If it wasn't for my negligence she wouldn't have…" Sol took a look at the grave that was still being filled in. "I'll willingly take any punishment that you will give me!" Sol stayed where he was, waiting for the punishment he believed he deserved." _

_James Hecate sighed and stepped forward. "Stand up, Sol. Of all people, I don't hold you responsible fro Clara's death."_

_Sol looked up in surprise. "But I-"_

"_Did you wish for her death?" James asked. "Did you hold the blade that ended her life? No. As horrible as this was, the reason it happened was due to a simple mistake."_

"_Yes, __My__ mistake." Sol stood up._

"_And what would you have me do? Lock you up in the cells in the basement? We need every person we can get in our situation." James looked at his wife's grave as the 2 gravediggers finished filling it up. "Besides, Clara wouldn't want me to be mad at you for this." James looked at Sol with a stern look. "If you really want to repent, do better, and keep improving. I'm counting on you." James walked off towards the manor and Soma followed after him, taking one last look at Sol. _

_Sol simply stood there, looking at the ground when a hand rested on his shoulder. "Luna?"_

"_It's alright Sol." She smiled warmly at him._

"_But…" Sol's words died in his mouth._

"_You should get some rest soon. From what I hear, a few more people are going to be joining us." Luna walked on to join her father and brother but took one last look at Sol._

_Sol looked up at the gray sky, noticing that the rain had stopped. "Damn it…" Sol clenched his fists again and tears streamed down his eyes._

__________________________________________________________________________

_**1 month later**_

"_Excuse me sir, I need to ask you a question." a young man with slicked back black hair announced._

"_What is it Ceez?" Soma said scratching his head. _

"_And would you stop calling us sir? We're the same rank for God's sake." Sol said in an irritated tone. "I mean, you've already been here about 1 month! I'd expect you to pick up on at least a few things." The 3 of them stood at the top of the outer wall surrounding the Manor, looking out into the distance._

"_Right sorry, force of habit I guess." Ceez said laughing nervously. "Anyway, How long are we supposed to stay here?" _

"_Until we get ordered to a new post." Sol said, matter-of-factly._

"_No, I mean in this place. The manor and the Barrier."_

"_When all the Fomors leave." Sol said. "Why, you got someone waiting for you back home?" Sol inquired._

"_Actually yes. My little brother, I left him back in Emain Macha with a family friend after our parents died." Ceez pointed out._

"_How'd your parents die?" Sol asked bluntly._

_Ceez seemed unaffected by this. "Some burglar broke in, hoping to get a quick buck but my mom found him upstairs. The guy stabbed her in the chest and my dad went upstairs to see the commotion and a fight broke out." Ceez looked out into the distance. "When the commotion died down, the thief was strangled to death but my dad was hit pretty bad too. The last thing he told me and my brother was to look out for each other."_

"_So what are you doing out here then?" Soma asked._

"_We didn't have a lot of money after our parents died so I had to leave my brother with a man named Richiev (Pronounced Rishev) He was the friend I mentioned earlier. Then I heard about this place when I was looking for a job and I figured that I should check it out." Ceez flashed a nervous grin. "Didn't think I'd be here for the long haul."_

"_That's what they all say." Soma said._

"_Yeah, and then they end up as another one of those." Sol pointed to the graveyard in the distance._

_Just then, the 3 were interrupted by a young girls voice. "Hey, Sol! Soma! New Guy!" A young girl in a sky blue robe and long red hair that curled at the end, yelled from the courtyard down below. "Captain Saitou has some orders for you guys." _

"New guy…"_ Ceez took the name in with disdain. "Who is she again?"_

"_That's Lyna, the librarian who also doubles as one of the chief supervisors of keeping the barrier up." Soma replied._

"_Enough with the chit chat, the Captain needs us and I'm not about to get another lecture because you guys were busy talking." Sol said already halfway across the roof._

_As Sol, Soma, and Ceez got to the door leading to the Captains office Sol knocked on the door. "Come in." said a rather stern and deep voice._

"_You wanted to see us sir?" Sol said as the trio stepped into the room. Sitting at his desk was Captain Saito. He had a clean, shaved head and green eyes that seemed to pierce your very soul, and was clad in the standard uniform for the guards here in the manor (brigandine except it was painted blue). To the captains right was a young man who had slicked back black hair, similar to Ceez's hair style, but was much longer and tied into a pony-tail. He had an unusually pale complexion and had narrow eyes. The name Shang was etched onto his right shoulder plate._

"_Yes. As you all know, every month or so the barrier protecting this place falls and it falls on us to defend it. Since we know when the barrier will fall we knew the enemy would pick up on the pattern as well. So now we'll try a different tactic, this time we'll send a small contingent of soldiers to attack the Fomors before they attack us." The captain said._

"_How do we know where to strike?" Sol asked._

"_We sent about 5 scouts out before hand. Only 2 came back, but they brought us the location of the next wave of Fomors." Shang said unrolling a map on the table in the room. "They have amassed a few large groups at several points around the manor." Shang drew 3 red circles across the map to mark their locations. "We will be sending groups of about 10-15 soldiers to, at the very least, slow these groups down and maybe even wipe a few of them out completely." _

"_Why are you telling us this before anyone else?" Sol asked._

"_Because you and Shang are our best fighters. you, Shang and Ceezwill be the ones leading the strike teams." Captain Saitou announced._

"_Then what about me?" Soma asked._

"_You? You're the son of James Hecate. I wanted you to know what we were planning before hand. The captain said and stood up. "Alright, do you understand the plan. Shang is in charge of Team A. Sol, you're in charge of Team B, and Ceez, you're in charge of Team C."_

"_Understood!" All three stated._

"_Um… what should I do?" Soma said._

"_You will remain here and prepare for the stragglers that make it through…" Captain Saitou said. _

"_But I have more experience in battle than Ceez does. Shouldn't that mean that I lead one of the teams?" Soma protested._

"_True, but you're also one of the people we have been charged to protect and I can't put you in any danger." Capt. Saitou sat back down. "I'm sorry Soma but you'll just have to sit this one out. Now everyone, the operation begins tomorrow! Dismissed!" The captain yelled._

_As Sol, Soma, and Ceez exited the office, Sol saw Luna up ahead. "Sis? What are you doing up here?" Soma asked._

"_I just came to talk." Luna walked up to Sol. "Could you guys leave us alone for a minute?" Luna asked._

"_Uh…Sure." Soma motioned for Ceez to follow him._

"_So, you and Soma are heading out tomorrow." Luna looked at Sol._

"_Yeah, a new mission. How'd you find out?" Sol said._

"_My father is the lord of this Manor. Most of the plans you hear about pass through his ears first, most of the time." Luna gave Sol a stern look. "You do know that this is practically a death sentence. There are dozens of Fomors out there, even without the groups you're targeting. You'll be massacred."_

"_If that's what has to happen, then s be it." Sol said calmly._

"_How can you say that?" Luna's voice began to rise. "You'd be throwing your life away just so you can slow them down. Does that sound like a worthwhile cause to you!?" _

"_If it means that you and the others are safe, then yes." Sol said, his expression showing no emotion._

"_Don't give me that crap, you know as well as I do that this is a suicide run!"_

"_Then what would you have me do!? Just chicken out and let some other poor sap take my place?!" Sol yelled. "If it's not me then it's someone else who gets the axe. This is a battle, Miss Luna. Don't forget that." Sol began storm off in a huff._

"_Just…" Luna started._

_Sol stopped. "What?"_

"_Just be careful, alright? I don't want to lose anyone else." Luna finished._

_Sol turned around and walked toward Luna. "I'll be fine, you just make sure you and Soma are safe when we get back." Sol said patting Luna's head._

"_Hey, quit it. I'm not a little kid anymore." Luna smiled as she pushed Sol's hand away._

"_Well I'd better get ready. See you around." Sol turned and walked towards his room. Luna's smile turned into a worried frown as he walked down the hall._

_Elsewhere, behind the next corner, Soma had listened on the conversation. "I'm not just going to sit here while everyone else is getting hurt. I'm going on this mission." soma clenched his fists._

__________________________________________________________________________

_**The next day**_

_Sol, Shang, and Ceez stood at the front gates of the manor, about 3 dozen knights stood behind them, checking their equipment. "All right, let's go over this one last time." Shang said rolling out a small map of the area between the 3 of them. "Sol's group will tackle the wave in the south, Ceez will strike the wave in the west, and my group will tackle the ones up north." Shang said pointing to each circle appropriately. "You are to hold them back from the manor for at least 3 to 5 hours. Remember, we have to lower the barrier to let people in and out and it will take a while to prepare another one, so as soon as you see the signal to come back, abort combat and head back hear as fast as you can. If you don't make it back in time, you're on your own." Ceez raised his hand. "What is it?"_

"_What's the signal to retreat?" Ceez asked._

"_We will light 2 different colored flares and shoot them into the sky. Blue flares mean that the area is safe and you can return. And red also means you should return, but the manor has been compromised and we need back up. Any other questions?" Sol and Ceez shook their heads. "Alright, we head out in half an hour, that's when the barrier will fall, everyone get ready." _

_All the knights fell in line behind their respective group leaders, facing the direction of the Fomor attack wave that they were to wipe out. One knight in the back looked a little nervous and shifted in his spot. "_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…"_ Soma thought to himself as he adjusted his helmet to obscure his identity. "_This is a suicide run! There are probably more Fomors in the woods waiting for us! If they don't get us then the main attack wave will only finish the job."_ Soma clenched his jaw._ "Just because we have more men, doesn't mean it gives us an excuse to send them into the slaughter house hoping the chunks will clog up the gears."

_A horn resounded over the manor, the soldiers tensed up at the sound. Sol drew his Katana and split it in two. Ceez drew his Claymore brought it to bear, the runes etched into the side of the blade glistened in the sunlight. Shang brought out a long double ended spear. "All companies… MOVE OUT!" Shang yelled and he and his group darted off to their target. _

"_Here goes nothing!" Ceez said and charged ahead, his combat group following close behind._

"_Time to get the rust off this thing." Sol and his group charged on towards the south._

_Luna watched the groups move out to the forest. "This isn't right captain. You know they'll only get slaughtered!" _

"_The knew the consequences of joining us the minute they arrived through the front gates. They're ready for this." The captain replied coldly._

"_But-"_

"_Before you object, ask yourself this. Are you opposed to this plan because you're concerned for the lives of all the soldiers? Or is it just Sol?" Captain Saitou turned and walked back inside. _

_luna stood at the front gates and clenched her fists. "Why can't I… do anything?"_

_**Within the forest, Sol's group**_

_Sol rushed from tree to tree, occasionally taking a look back to make sure his group was in one piece. "So far so good, It should take us about an hour to reach the designated point, then it's 4 hours of bloody mayhem." Sol's thoughts were interrupted by a yelp from behind him. He turned around to find one of the knights missing. "Where the hell did Gibson go?" He yelled, still keeping an eye out so he didn't accidentally leap right into the middle of the attack wave. Another yell was heard, Sol could see small shadows moving in the shadows. "Pick up the pace people, we have company!" Sol and the others behind him immediately picked up speed. _

"_I knew this would happen…" Soma whispered to himself but was cut off when an arm suddenly struck out from in front of him and took out a nearby soldier. "Crap!" Soma brought his sword out and sliced the arm off the unfortunate Fomor. "It'll take more than that to get me!" other black figures leaped out of the trees and descended on Soma's position. Soma grinned in anticipation. "So this is what the front line is like…" Soma brought his claymore back and swung wide, taking out the attacking Fomors. Another demon appeared from behind but was struck down by a black blade._

_Sol landed behind Soma and grinned. "Mind if I join you?" His smile faded and he looked at the others in front of him. "You guys go on ahead, I'll join you in a minute!" As Sol finished, a dozen more Fomors surrounded them. _

_**Ceez's team**_

"_Damn it!" Ceez leaped back to avoid an attack from an unusually large Fomor soldier. "Didn't think they got this big." Ceez rushed forward and ducked to avoid another attack and plunged his claymore deep into the fomor's chest. The runes on the sword glowed red and Ceez's target was set ablaze. "I enchanted this thing myself." Ceez pulled the blade out and let the fomor crumble to ashes. "No way it'll lose to you guys." Ceez's group was stopped a mile away from their designated target. "looks like they decided to come to us. How nice of them…" Ceez's eyes had a determined and fierce look in them. "Don't let up! We can't let them get past us!" Ceez yelled to the surviving knights under his command. _"I'm not dying here! Not yet. Just wait for me little bro." _Ceez charged forward, his blade becoming engulfed with flames. With one giant swing Ceez released a large wave of fire, taking out several fomors in the process. Another leaped in and attempted to claw at him. Ceez brought his blade up and blocked it_. "Just because I'm new doesn't mean I can't look out for myself." _The runes on his blade glowed yellow and lightning shot out from the blade and shocked the fomor, using the metal claws as a pathway for the electricity. As his latest victim fell, Ceez looked around to see that 4 of the 12 knights he had were down_. "This won't end well." _Ceez charged in again._

_**Shang's Team**_

"_There's the target! Charge forward!" Shang leaped up into the air and aimed his spear down on towards the center of the crowd. The tips of his spear opened up and separated revealing another point underneath, giving his weapon the appearance of a double-blade trident. Shang stabbed the head of one of the fomor soldiers and brutally yanked it out, shattering the skull and the blood splattering across the ground. Shang stabbed the rear trident on his spear into another unfortunate soldier and skewered him. Shang then slammed the skewered Fomor into two others sending all 3 of them flying. Shang looked behind him to see the other dozen knights with him had joined the fray as well. "Yes, fight on…" Shang blocked an attack from the left and skewered another enemy. "If you survive this, then you can truly call yourselves knights." Shang was soon surrounded by several new fomors. "Let's see how long we can go!"_

_**Sol's Team**_

_A fomor soldier was sliced down the middle as one of Sol's blades ended it's life, while the other blade blocked another attack from behind. Sol twisted his arm and knocked the blade out of the enemy's hand as Soma sliced him in half at the waist. The 2 knights began a repeated pattern of defense and attack until finally, all the fomors in the area had either been killed, or retreated. _

"_Well that didn't take long now did it…" A sly grin formed on Sol's face. "…Soma?" _

_Soma tensed and faced Sol. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." Soma said in an embarrassingly over the top adult voice._

"_Don't try to hide it Soma, I spar with you every day." Sol said patting his friend on the back. "I know just about every move you make."_

"_Alright, alright, you got me." Soma sighed as he pulled off his helmet. "How can you stand being in this helmet. There's no filtration or anything beyond the eyeholes." Soma complained._

"_Why do you think I don't wear it? Anyway, enough chit chat, lets get back with the others." Sol and Soma rushed forward towards their combat group._

"_What the hell?" Sol and Soma reached the target area but when they arrived, the entire combat group was annihilated while there were still several dozen fomor soldiers waiting for them._

"_No way…" Soma muttered. _

_The fomors soon set their sights on Sol and Soma and launched their attack. Sol charged forward and used a spinning slash to slice through 4 opponents, creating a hole in the wave of attackers. Soma knelt down on one knew and stuck his sword into the air, letting an enemy leap into the blade and slice himself in half. Sol dashed in between enemies, slicing left and right as he did so, causing several soldiers to fall dead. However, even as he did so, more replaced the ones he killed. "Damn it!" Sol yelled. Just then a blue flare shot out through the sky. "Perfect!_

_**Ceez's Team**_

_Ceez leaped in between to swords which where swung at him, one passing under and one passing over, as he flew through the air and landed behind his 2 attackers. He swung his claymore and four bloody chunks were added to the battle field. Ceez looked around and saw that there were only 2 other knights still fighting. "only 2!?" A bloody crunch was heard. "make that one." Ceez muttered as he blocked an attack and shrugged it off. Ceez then heard a small boom in the distance and saw a blue flame hover over the manor. "About freaking time!" Ceez slew his last opponent and began to dart off toward the manor. He looked back and saw the last soldier under his command get sliced in half as he tried to follow. Ceez closed his eyes and ran faster, knowing the fomors would give chase._

_**Shang's Team**_

_Shang twirled his double trident in the air, killing several fomors in the process as the retreat signal resounded across the forest. "That's the signal! Retreat!" Shang called out to the remaining 4 soldiers under him. The 5 of them dashed off towards the manor. As they rushed through the forest, several fomors gave chase. One man was grabbed by the ankles and dragged into the darkness beyond the tree line. While another was decapitated when he stopped in shock as his comrade was dragged off. "Don't stop for anything, keep moving!" Shang said not looking back. Shang was soon able to see the outskirts of the manor as he exited the forest. He leaped and landed with a thud as he entered the usual limit of where the barrier was extended. He turned around and saw that no one was following him anymore. "They must have been…" Before Shang could finish, screams were heard in the forest. Shang looked down, his face contorted with grief. _

"_Commander Shang!" a soldier came up to him and saluted. "Please come with me sir, the barrier will be raised in 30 minutes." _

"_No, I think I'll wait for the others to return." Shang said not turning around to face the soldier. _"If anyone can make it, it's them."_ Shang thought._

_Soon, another figure made it out of the tree line. "Ceez!" Shang yelled._

_Ceez nodded at him but turned to slice 2 attacking fomors and kicked a smaller one back into the forest. Without hesitation, Ceez darted back onto the manor grounds next to Shang. "Where is verybody?" Ceez asked, out of breath._

"_I lost my whole unit, I assume the same happened to you?" Shang inquired._

"_Yeah…" Ceez said solemnly. "What about Sol?" _

"_He hasn't returned yet, but he'd better. The barrier will be raised in about 15 minutes." Shang said, his expression turning grim._

"_Hey!" Captain Saitou rushed over to Ceez and Shang, Luna following close behind. "Have either of you 2 seen Soma!?" _

"_Why do you ask? Isn't he supposed to be here?" Shang exclaimed._

"_We can't find him anywhere! We searched the whole Manor." Luna said, panicking. "What if he's with…" Luna's expression turned to horror when she stared out into the forest. "What if he's out there? We have to hold the barrier open until Sol's group comes back."_

"_Impossible, once the spell has been prepped we have to cast it or it will dissipate. If that happens then we have to start all over and this whole operation will become meaningless." Captain Saitou said._

_A crashing sound was heard in the distance. Shang, Ceez, Luna and Saitou looked at the forest to see a few trees fall over and plumes of dirt shoot into the sky. The pattern continued until finally 3 trees were knocked down at the edge of the forest, revealing Sol carrying Soma on his back. "Wait for us!" Sol yelled as 3 large fomors wielding Axes were right behind them. _

"_Don't lead them here you idiot!" Shang yelled._

"_Hey, isn't that Soma!?" Luna pointed at the boy on Sol's back._

"_Sol, get over here quick!" Shang yelled. A large flash was seen above the manor. A glowing white orb shined across the area. "Oh no! The barrier is about to be raised! Sol get a move on!" Shang yelled as Sol tried to run faster. _

_The white orb flattened in the sky and began to spread in a dome pattern across the manor. Sol rushed forward occasionally ducking and leaping to avoid the attacks from his 3 pursuers. Eventually, Sol raised Soma into the air and threw him ahead of himself and towards the inside of the barrier. Hitting Shang in the process. Sol then dive rolled under the barrier just as it finally locked in place. The 3 fomors who were chasing him slammed their axes down on the barrier only to be disintegrated on contact._

"_Soma!" Luna knelt by her brother and checked for any injuries. "There's just a bump on his head." _

"_When we were running, he sort of… tripped. Good thing he doesn't eat much. It's bad enough that I had carry him all over the place." Sol commented._

"_How did he get out there?" Ceez asked._

"_He disguised himself as one of the soldiers. We really need to increase security around this place. If that's even possible." Sol explained. _

"_What happened to the rest of your unit?" Captain Soma asked._

"_As if you need to ask…" Sol said looking off into the distance._

"_Shang!" Lyna came running out towards Shang and stood next to him. "What did you do to yourself!? There are dents and scratches all over your armor!" Lyna exclaimed._

"_I'm fine, really. I just need some-"_

"_No you're not! You're coming with me to the infirmary! That goes for all of you as well." Lyna pushed Shang along as Sol and Ceez followed behind. _

_**That night**_

_Captain Saitou stood at the front gates of the manor, the barrier occasionally pulsing, sending a wave of light that circled the perimeter. Before long, the captain noticed someone approaching from behind. _

"_Lord Hecate! What are you doing out here!?" _

"_Simply enjoying a night's stroll. And you?"_

"_I'm thinking about placing a moat around the Manor." The captain replied. "The border of the barrier provides more than enough room."_

_James Hecate sighed. "I just hope that this Manor doesn't turn into a prison." James Hecate walked back towards the manor._

"_It already has, sir. But it's wall we have left." captain Saito said grimly._

__________________________________________________________________________

_**2 years later. Sol, age: 15**_

"_So you 2 are an item now? That's great!" Ceez said. He, Sol, Shang, and Soma were sitting in a bench in the main courtyard of the manor. _

"_I thought they were always like that." Shang commented._

"_Yeah, but now it's official!" Ceez patted Sol on the back, hard, causing him to almost choke on a piece of bread he was eating. _

"_So how'd you do it?" Shang asked. _

"_I bought her an amulet from some weird traveling merchant that passed through a few days ago." Sol replied. Ceez said something about him helping too but the others didn't listen._

"_That's all it took? I didn't know my sister was that easy…" Soma said in a rather put off tone. Soma then looked at Sol straight in the eye. "Despite that, all I'm going to say is, and I know this sounds cliché, don't do anything crazy or you'll regret it." Soma said, grinning yet giving off a look that said, 'I'll kill you.'_

"_R-right, sure…" Sol said, sweating._

"_Seriously though, don't do anything rash." Shang started. "I'll keep this a secret, but if word got out that you 2 are together…" Shang looked around. "things could get complicated. In more ways than one." _

_Sol looked around and felt the cold, jealous stares of some of the younger recruits in the courtyard with them._

"_Sol!" Luna called to Sol from the top of one of the walls surrounding the manor. "Come up here, there's a great view._

"_What's she doing up there?" Ceez asked._

"_It's just a place we hang out at. I'll see you guys later!" Sol ran off to join Luna._

"Hang out?…" _Soma had a horrible thought "I-I gotta go too! Bye!" Soma darted off as well, leaving Ceez and Shang in the dust._

_Shang cleared his throat. "Anyway… Ceez, some food has gone missing from storage, particularly chocolate. Do you know any…" When Shang turned to face Ceez, no one was there. "Of course…" Shang sighed._

_**The outer wall**_

_Sol and Luna sat on a couple of crates and gazed out into the horizon, into the forest that seemed so calm but concealed a more sinister secret to the traveler passing through. Down below was the recently finished moat, being used as a fishing area by several soldiers. To the right, was a steep mountain trail that lead to the manor. Another test to see who would be able to survive out in the remote area._

"_Sol?" Luna asked._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Have you ever been outside this place? To other towns like Emain Macha or Dunbarton? I've only ever seen them in books." _

"_To be honest, I don't remember anything before I ended up here besides my name." Sol looked up into the clear blue sky. "Hell, I don't even know if Sol is my name at all. Maybe it's the name of someone close to me, someone important enough that I would remember his or her name over my own." Sol looked back ahead, over the horizon. "It scares me to think about what my life was like before I came here. What if it changes me?" Sol said._

"_I don't think that'll happen…" Luna clasped Sol's hand in hers. "No matter what happened in the past, what matters is what is happening now. And right now, you're Sol, you're the person who has stood by since childhood. This is proof of that." Luna held her blue amulet in her hand. "Besides, you were eight years old when we found you, I doubt any memories before that will change a lot." Luna laughed._

_Sol chuckled as well but soon stopped. "Hey, Luna? Do you know what happens to you when you die?" Sol asked._

"_No, why?"_

"_Ever couple of nights, I get this strange dream. I'm 8 years old and walking along this trail made of stone with several tall structures towering above me and these metal things on 4 black wheels zoom past me on a black section of the road. I'm also no alone, there's a woman, about 30 or something, holding my hand, her face is always blurred. Then, when we reach an intersection, the metal things stop and we walk along a white striped path. As we are about halfway across, I hear something snap and a shadow underneath me grows bigger and bigger. I look up to see a giant metal beam falling on me and the woman, and I pushed her leg causing her to fall just outside the area of impact as I'm crushed." Sol explained._

"_Wow… I had no idea."_

"_That's not all though, the things in my dream have names! And I know them. The metal things are called cars and the tall structures are called skyscrapers." Sol stood up and looked at Luna. "And I didn't make these up either! I remembered these names! They were already in my head when I came here!" Sol's voice began to rise. "What if… what if when we die, we don't end up in heaven or hell like we believe. What if our souls are simply recycled and used in another world?" Sol finished, taking deep breaths._

_Luna's expression turned serious. "Sol? Can I tell you something that I've never told anyone? Not even Soma." _

"_What? Why me?" Sol asked._

"_Because it's something that is passed down through my family when we Turn 16, Soma will find out in a year or so." Luna explained. "If you hear this, then you can't tell anyone, ever!" _

_Sol nodded. Luna motioned for him to come closer. Sol did so and listened as she whispered her secret into his ear. His eyes widening as her explanation went on._

_**Meanwhile**_

_Soma watched Sol and Luna carefully from one of the guard tower doors further down the wall. "Damn it! I can't hear a thing they're saying! But if I get any closer, they could spot me!" _

_A figure sneaked up behind Soma and squatted down beside him. "Why are we sneaking?" He whispered._

_Soma turned around to see a man snarling at him like a crazed wolf. "Gyahhhhh!" Soma fell back and almost knocked over a crate. "C-ceez don't do that!"_

_Ceez laughed. "Hey, don't bust a lung kid! I was just having fun! So what're you doing up here?" Ceez asked._

"_Spying on Sol and Luna, making sure they don't go overboard." Soma turned back and looked through the doorway. "So what about you?"_

"_I'm hiding so Shang doesn't realize that I took that crate of chocolate a couple of days ago."_

"_That was you!?" Soma turned around. _

"_Yup! Wasn't easy either, there were like, 6 guards around it. But it sure was worth it, that was some of the best chocolate I've had in… well, ever! My parents never let me or Shaosu eat chocolate." Ceez looked over to see Soma trembling. "Hey, are you okay?"_

"_I bought those chocolates from a merchant with all my savings…" Soma said with a trembling voice. "They were made by some of the best cooks in Emain Macha, and I intended to make them last." Soma glared at Ceez, his eyes practically glowing red "And you just ate it all in one night!?"_

"_Okay man… let's just take a seat and-" Before Ceez could finish Soma launched himself at Ceez._

"_I'LL KILL YOU!" _

_**Back with Sol and Luna**_

_Sol staggered back in shock and awe at what he just heard. "Is that all true?"_

_Luna nodded, her gaze drifting downward. _

"_So that's why we're here… That's why we're-"_

_Sol was interrupted when Soma burst through a door on the far side of the wall, strangling Ceez. "Cough them up! Cough up every last bite you thief!" soma yelled._

"_You think they heard us?" Luna asked._

"_At that distance? Not likely…" Sol and Luna rushed over to break up the fight, practically having to pry Soma's hands off with a sword sheath. After a while all 4 of them were sitting down along the wall's edge making sure to keep Ceez and Soma separated. _

"_Anyway… I'm going to my room. See you guys around." Sol said standing up. _

"_Uh… Hey! Let me come along." Ceez said taking a nervous look at Soma._

"_Wait!" Luna walked up to Sol and as he turned around, she kissed him, deeply. "See you later!" Luna said._

_Sol smiled warmly. "Yeah… See you later."_

_Sol and Ceez walked off as the four of them separated. "Did something good happen?" Ceez asked, teasingly. _

_Sol frowned a bit. "No… No, not really."_

_**That night**_

_Luna walked in complete darkness, having no idea where she was going. "Where am I?" Luna stumbled through the darkness, feeling her way through until she felt something brush against her leg. Luna looked down and found the item that she was looking for. "It feels like…" Luna felt a sharp edge. "…a knife!?" Luna exclaimed. Just then, she heard something moving. "Wh-Who's there?" She saw a figure in the shadows in the distance, glowing yellow eyes stared back at her and slowly moved in for the kill._

_Luna woke with a gasp, breathing heavily. "Just a dream…" Luna breathed a sigh of relief. "But why do my hands feel wet?" Luna lifted her hands up to see them covered in blood. "What the…!" Luna then looked up to see a bed with a corpse on it. "Oh my god…" Luna got up and looked at who was killed. She covered her mouth when she almost screamed and recoiled back in shock. _"F-father…" _James Hecate was lying on his bed, covered in blood, a gaping hole in his chest. Luna looked at her father and then at her hands. "No…" Luna turned around and darted outside the door and made a beeline towards her room._

_Luna slammed the door shut and slumped down against it. "Did I really…" Luna looked at the bloodstains on her hands. "I have to get this off…" Luna grabbed a handkerchief of her side table and dipped it in a flower vase to wet it. Then she proceeded to wipe the blood off completely. When she was done, she sat on her bed and looked at the floor "I… I killed him…. I killed him…" Luna curled into a ball and laid down on her bed, sobbing. Unbeknownst to her, though, a yellow eye briefly appeared on her amulet._

_**The next day**_

_The rain poured down mercilessly on the funeral service of James Hecate as his body was lowered down into his grave. Captain Saitou, Shang, and Lyna stood on one side, looking down with sorrow. While Sol, Luna, Ceez, and Soma stood in front of the grave. Sol had his arm around Luna, keeping her close while Soma just stared at his father's casket. After the eulogy was finished, After the mourners had left, even after the grave was fully buried, Sol, Luna, Ceez and Soma still remained. _

"_Monsters…" Soma muttered, gaining everyone's attention. "The fomors are nothing but mindless monsters. It's because of them mom and dad are dead, it's because of them that we're trapped in this place." Soma gritted his teeth. "I swear I'll wipe out every single one of them!"_

"_How are you so sure it was fomors? The barrier isn't supposed to fall until this Saturday." Ceez said._

"_What else could do something like that to father?" Soma replied. "Besides, even if we have a traitor in our midst…" Soma clenched his fists. "I'll tear them apart myself!" Luna gave Soma a worried look and clung to Sol._

"_It'll be alright…" Sol said stroking Luna's hair. "After all, you still have us."_

"_Yeah…" deep down inside, Luna knew that this would be short lived._

_**Captain Saitou's office**_

"_So only 2 are left now…" Saitou said, drinking a small glass of scotch. "Did the investigation turn anything up?"_

"_Right now, people are more concerned about preparing for the next raid once the barrier falls." Shang said. "I don't think we're going to be able to look into this incident anytime soon." Shang's eyes soon became more focused. "But there is one thing that we can be sure of. There is definitely a traitor in our ranks."_

_**That night**_

_Sol laid down, awake, in his room. He remembered what Luna had said to him on the wall the day before._

_**Yesterday**__( I know this is going a little fast, and I know there hasn't been a lot of build up for this but just deal with it)_

"The truth is…" Luna began. "The reason why everyone is here is because, and I know that this will be hard to believe, that I have a fragment of the goddess Morrighan's power hidden within me. Embedded in my soul"

Sol staggered back a little. "What?"

"You see, The goddess was sealed away a long time ago by the fomor god Cichol but she gave a fragment of her power to a trusted warrior several years beforehand, should such an event occur. That warrior was my ancestor, Selene Hecate. Ever since then, the first born child of each generation of my family has inherited the fragment of the goddess's power. This generation though, 2 unexpected events happened." Luna sat up straighter. "The first was the fact that my family was eventually trapped here in this manor preventing us from attempting to stop Cichol and releasing the goddess. The second, was that my mother, my predecessor as the vessel for the goddess's power, married a fomor."

"You mean…" Sol started.

"Yes… My father, James Hecate, is actually a fomor who previously served Cichol but fell in love with my mother. He took her family name when they married in order to distance himself from his former life." Luna looked down towards the floor. "This also means that I am half fomor, as well as my brother. Both the goddess's power within me and my status as a half blood give the fomor raiding parties more than enough of a signal to track us."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sol asked.

"Because, if anything were to happen to me to cause the fomor half to take over my human one, then I want you…" Luna looked Sol directly in the eye. "I want you to stop me no matter what. Can you promise me that?"

Sol stammered. "I…"

"If you love me, then promise me. Promise that you won't let me become a monster."

"I…I promise!"

**Present (or past or… you know what I mean!)**

"_I've got a bad feeling about this week." Sol said rolling over and tried to fall asleep._

**Somewhere under the Manor**

_Lyna stood in a circle around a large crystal in an even larger underground chamber beneath the courtyard. Several runes were carved into the floor and pulsated every couple of seconds._

"_Alright, no major fluctuations in the energy flow and the barrier crystal remains completely undamaged. Just another day at work." Lyna sighed, remembering all the other times the barrier fell every 30 days, remembering all the friends she lost. Then she heard footsteps. Lyna turned around. "There shouldn't be anyone down here this late…" When Lyna saw who was there she relaxed. "Oh it's you Luna." Luna simply stared at her, expressionlessly. "What are you doing here…? Wait a second, something isn't right." Lyna stepped back as she noticed that Luna's eyes weren't the usual red but a fierce yellow. "What's going-" before Lyna could finish, she felt a sharp pain in her chest as Luna crashed into her. "What?" Lyna lifted her hand to find blood. "No…" Lyna collapsed to the ground, dead, as Luna pulled the knife out. Luna then turned to the barrier crystal floating in the center of the room and grinned. She placed her hand on the crystal and a black aura escaped from her hand, infecting the crystal. Luna removed her hand from the crystal and proceeded to walk back to her room._

_Sol awoke to the sound of fighting and yelling across the manor. "What the hell!?" Sol quickly got out of bed and put on his armor and strapped on his katana. He kicked open his door and rushed out of the hall. When he got outside, the courtyard was a war zone, fomors and knights were strewn all across the once beautiful garden, fighting, dying or already dead. Several parts of the mansion were on fire as well, whether due to a mage's carelessness or some other accident, he wasn't sure. "What's going on? The barrier wasn't supposed to fall for another week. Sol brought his Katana out and fought his way through the courtyard and into the main entrance hall._

_When Sol got there, the situation wasn't any better but he saw 3 people he knew in the middle of it all. "Shang, Soma, Ceez!" Sol ran towards them slicing a demon in half as he did so. _

"_Glad you could join the party." Ceez said as he slew another enemy._

"_What's going on!? Why did the barrier fall this soon?" Soma said as he blocked an attack, the four of them were back to back, rotating as they moved through the crowd._

"_I don't know! But I'm going to find out!" Shang said as he skewered 3 fomors at once and flung them away. "I'll check on the Barrier crystal room. Soma and Ceez, you see if the captain is alright. And Sol, Get miss Luna out of here!" Shang said and darted off._

"_I guess I'll be heading home, sooner than I thought! C'mon Soma!" Ceez said as he darted off._

_As Sol went to get Luna, Soma stopped him. "Sol… Please get my sister out of here, she's all I've got now." Soma pleaded_

_Sol nodded. "Yeah, you got it." Sol and Soma parted ways._

_**With Shang**_

"_Lyna!" Shang called out. "Lyna what's…going… on…?" As Shang entered the chamber he saw that the crystal was black instead of it's usual white color. "What happened?" Shang looked around and saw Lyna's corpse on the ground. "Lyna!" Shang went over to her called out her name. Realizing it was of no use, he closed her eyes. "Damn it… Why is this happening?" Shang saw movement in the shadows. He immediately picked up his trident. "All right you bastards! You want a fight? Come get one!" Shang yelled as several fomors descended upon him. The last thing Shang saw was a see of darkness._

_**With Soma and Ceez**_

"_No way…" Soma and Ceez looked in horror at the site in front of them. Captain Saitou was impaled in his chair by his own sword. "Who could've done this to the captain?" Soma muttered._

"_I guess they got here before we did." Ceez suspected. He then heard some footsteps outside. "Here come more of them." Ceez and soma readied their weapons as the fomors burst into the room. Ceez slashed several of them in half with his claymore and plunged his sword into the ground, sending a wave of fire bursting though the wall and destroying the eastern portion of the office. "Maybe that was a bit of overkill."_

"_You think? We're trying to save the manor not help the fomors destroy it!" Soma said in an agitated tone._

"_Well, the way I see it, this place isn't going to make it past tonight" ceez said in a serious tone. Soma's look turned to sorrow. "Well, enough about that. Let's just focus on saving our own asses before focusing on the manor. Ceez and Soma nodded at each other and charged into battle._

_**With Sol**_

_Sol ran through the manor's halls as he ran towards Luna's room. "I'm not gonna lose her! I'm not gonna lose her!" Sol repeated over and over in his head, panicking for the first time in the past five years. Sol reached an intersection in the halls and looked left to right, a wild look in his eyes. "Damn it! I can't even remember the layout of this place. Sol wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I-I think it was… this way." Sol headed right. "Luna…"_

_Sol eventually approached a familiar looking door. "That's it!" Sol skidded to a stop and opened the door. "Luna! We have to get out of here!" Sol saw Luna looking out the window._

"_Luna?" Sol said worried._

"_Sol…Perfect timing…" Luna said weekly._

"_What's going on? We have to hurry!" Sol pleaded._

"_Do you remember?_

"_What?"_

"_Do you remember what you promised me?" Luna said, her voice quivering._

"_Yeah…" Sol had a sick feeling in his stomach at what was about to happen. _

_Luna turned around, tears streaming down her eyes. "Well it's time to make good on that promise." When Luna turned around, several strange markings were on her body, one of her eyes had turned yellow instead of it's usual red. And the blue amulet Sol bought her for her birthday had embedded itself in her chest, veins showing around it. Another yellow eye stared at Sol through the jewel. _

"_What the hell?" Sol stared in horror._

"_This jewel… turned out to be a fomor artifact from the war, centuries ago…" Luna explained. "It must have spirit locked inside it… I can feel a presence trying to take over-Gyaahh!" Luna recoiled in pain._

"_Luna!" Sol stepped forward._

"_Sol! Please, kill me…" Luna pleaded. "I don't know how much longer I can fight this! You have to kill me to prevent this thing from getting Morrighan's power!"_

"_But I can't… I can't do it!" Sol yelled._

_Luna felt another surge of pain. "Please, Sol… do it… While I'm still me." Luna begged._

_Sol stood there, unable to move. _"What do I do?_" Sol thought. "Can't I just remove the amulet?" Sol yelled._

"_It's rooted in too deep now. It wouldn't work…" Luna said. "Sol, please… I don't want to lose myself…" Luna felt another surge of pain, fangs began to emerge. "Do it now!"_

_Sol gripped his katana tightly, everything seemed to slow down. Sol began to move forward, readying his katana in a stabbing position. He couldn't tell if he was yelling or not, all he knew was that Luna would die whether or not he did this. "I'm sorry…" He whispered as his blade plunged through Luna's chest, shattering the jewel in the center. When the jewel broke, a maze like pattern raced down the blade of the sword and onto Sol's right arm. But Sol didn't notice this, he was only paying attention to Luna who was slowly dying._

"_Sol… I know this is selfish but… could I ask one last favor from you?" Luna said. Her eyes had returned to their red color and the fangs had disappeared._

"_Sure… anything." _

"_Please… don't tell Soma…" She pleaded, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I don't want him to know that I was the monster that he hated so much." Luna pleaded._

"_Yeah… alright, I promise." Sol said. _

"_Thank you Sol. I (cough) I'll always love you."_

"_Yeah… I love you too." He noticed that she stopped breathing. "Luna? Luna!?" Sol laid her back down against the wall and carefully pulled his Katana out. "See you around…"_

_**With Ceez and Soma**_

"_Damn it!" Ceez yelled as he sliced through another 3 Fomors. "All we've found is more enemies. I don't think there's anyone else except for us."_

"_Don't say that! Sol and Luna are still here, I'm sure of it." Soma said. "And then there's Shang…"_

_Ceez looked around to make sure there wasn't anything else left alive. "Alright here's what we're gonna do. I'll make my way over to the crystal chamber and get shang while you go and get Sol and Luna. Alright?" _

"_Do you think you can make it?" Soma asked._

"_Of course! I'll be fine!" Now let's go!" Soma and Ceez parted ways for the final time._

_Soma ran through the burning halls of the manor, mostly avoiding enemies and fighting when they were right in front of him. "I have to get them out of here…" Soma told himself._

_**With Sol**_

_Sol stared at Luan's body, the fire had already spread into the room but he didn't care, he still needed to process what just happened. "The amulet was… cursed? Then this…" Sol remembered seeing his comrades fighting and dying in the courtyard. "This is all… my fault…" Sol continued to stare. "Why? Why won't the tears flow?" Sol wondered. For some reason, the tears just wouldn't form. "Why?" Sol's thoughts were interrupted when a slamming sound was heard._

"_Sol! Luna! We have to leave!" Soma stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Luna's body and Sol clutching a bloody blade. "Huh?"_

"Soma… I can't let him know…" _Sol said to himself in his head. Sol's face became expressionless. He turned to face his friend. Soma muttered why and Sol stayed silent. Soon Sol and Soma were at each other's throats._

_**With Ceez**_

"_Eat this!" Ceez spin slashed his way through an entire hallway of fomors, his claymore engulfed in flames. "I'm not letting minions get the better of me." Ceez said as he neared the door leading down to the crystal room. When Ceez got down the stairs, he saw several impish demons dancing around Shang's body. "Get away from him!" Ceez leaped into the air and decapitated each of the impish fomors. He turned to Shang's body which was beaten and cut. "Damn!" Ceez heard more movement around him and saw several large fomors appear around him. "Looks like I won't be coming home after all…" Ceez said and took a deep breath. "But that doesn't mean I can't put up a fight!" Ceez leaped into the air to avoid a strike from one of the large fomors. His blade arcing with electricity. As he descended he plunged his blade into the head of the nearest enemy and shocked him to death. He pulled his blade out and back flipped towards another target, slicing it in half as he descended. As Ceez turned to face the next one he was smashed across the room and into a pillar. "crap…" Ceez got up and charged only to be smacked down again. Ceez struggled but couldn't find the strength. He managed to look up and saw one the large ones approach him. "Screw you…" Ceez held up his middle finger and smiled as the fomor brought his boot down on Ceez's head. _"Shaosu…"_ Ceez thought to himself._

_**With Sol and Soma**_

"_Why!?" Soma yelled as he and Sol crossed swords. "Why did you kill her!?" he swung hard enough to make Sol stagger and he kicked him. "She trusted you…" soma gritted his teeth. "She __loved__ you!" Soma pointed his blade at his former friend. Sol did the same, cut's and bruises on both of them. They charged at each other, each one giving an opening to exploit, but Soma hesitated. Sol, ruthlessly cut Soma down. Soma laid there on the ground, first looking at Luna and then at Sol. "Wh-Why?" _

_Sol gave him a condescending look. "You wouldn't understand." Soma passed out as the flames continued to spread. Sol slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn it! Why is this happening?" one of the rafters in the roof fell down and brought Sol's attention to the fire. "Crap…" Sol smashed a window and was about to leap out when he remembered Soma. He picked his friend up and leaped out and ran for the mountain pass. Surprisingly, the fomors paid him no attention._

_**Several hours later**_

_As Sol reached the midpoint in the mountain pass he collapsed in exhaustion. Something was causing his right arm to ache. "Damn it…" Sol ripped off his right gauntlet and found that his right arm had a mazelike pattern all over it, and it was spreading. "W-what the hell is this!?" as it spread his arm was engulfed in agony. "Gyahhhhh!" Sol's eyes turned yellow and he passed out._

_**Sol's head**_

"_What the-?" Sol found himself in a dark room, several pieces of furniture was placed around the room in a gothic design. "Where am I?"_

"_Welcome to your head, my friend."_

_Sol turned around to see where the voice came from, his eyes widening at his discovery. "Who are you?" Sol stared at someone who looked exactly like him except this one was dressed in a black suit and a top hat. His grin gave off a malicious aura and his yellow eyes sent chills down sol's spine._

"_You could say I'm you. And I was also your little girlfriend Luna for a time, along with several other poor souls. But for the sake of convenience, call me Vice." the Sol look alike said._

"_What do you mean you were… Hold on! You're the spirit in the amulet?"_

"_Bingo! We have a winner! I am the one who tried to take over your girlfriend's body." as Vice finished he was tackled to the floor by Sol. "Hey, hey, hey… what's the matter?"_

"_You're the reason this happened! It's all your fault!" Sol yelled_

"_Well, no argument here."_

"_So give me one good reason I shouldn't run you through…" Sol gritted his teeth._

"_Well, if you want an obvious one, you don't have you're sword. But if you want a more important reason, it's because I can give you back what you lost." Vice smiled._

"_What are you talking about?" Sol asked._

"_I was sealed in that amulet after attempting a coup against Cichol. I want some payback. If you can defeat Cichol, and absorb his power, I can make it so that you can be with your little girlfriend again. Deal?" Vice offered his hand._

_Sol got off of him and pondered the situation when another voice rang out. "Don't!"_

"_Oh great… here it comes." Vice said as he vanished and the whole room dissolved into white. _

_Sol found himself on a large white platform. "Great, now what?" a flash of light engulfed Sol's vision. "Who is it this time?" _

_A young girl in a long black dress, white hair and blue eyes appeared in front of Sol. "You mustn't listen to him!" a young woman's voice yelled at him._

"_Who are you!?"_

"_My name is Nao, the guardian of the soul stream." Nao said._

"_Nao? I know about you, you're the person in charge of allowing souls access to Erinn!"_

_Nao nodded. "Yes, but put that aside for now. You can't trust Vice! He is a devious trickster, he'll just take over the second you let your guard down. That's what he tried to do to Luna." Nao explained._

"_How did he get inside me though? I destroyed the amulet." Sol asked._

"_He transferred himself to you at the last second." Nao explained. "Listen Sol, I know it hurts to lose someone, but you have to be strong. You still have a long road ahead of you. When vice was transferred to your body, so was the fragment of Morrighan's power. You have to keep it safe."_

"_But why me?" Sol asked._

"_You're the only one capable of doing this. The only other person is Soma."_

_Sol remembered that Soma was still unconscious on the mountain path. "I see… alright then, I'll do it. Where do I start?" Sol said._

"_Not just yet. You need to know more about the power you posses and learn to use it. Cichol is still biding his time and forming his plan. And to help you, I'll give you something to keep Vice from taking control." Nao offered her right hand and Sol took it with his left. On contact, Sol's left arm was covered in markings that resembled a wave like pattern. "That should keep Vice from taking complete control but you still need to keep your guard up. When the moment to act is right, you will know." Sol was engulfed in light and woke up on the mountain trail._

_Sol looked around, he was back on the mountain pass, Soma was still knocked out on the ground. Sol checked his left arm and found the marks that Nao gave him. He placed his gauntlets back on and Picked up Soma. "I'd better make sure he's safe before I head off." Sol picked a direction and hoped that it led to a town._

__________________________________________________________________________

Man this chapter was long! I was planning on making this a 2 part story but I just wanted to get it out of the way. I kinda feel like the end was rushed a little and the last lines between Luna and Sol were a little… clichéd but I can't think of anything else.

So anyway, to those of you who like reading long chapters, take this as an apology for making you wait. To those of you who don't sorry this chap is so long.

Now on to chapter 9!


	9. Chapter 9

I'm beginning to have second thoughts about putting up Sol and Soma's pasts when we're only 8 chapters in.

PS: When I first downloaded Mabinogi, it stopped working for about a month. Now I recently got it working again but the icon to log on won't appear, and the only way I can get back in the game is if I keep reinstalling it every time I want to log on. Does anyone else have this problem? And if you can, could you tell me how to fix it? I have a feeling it's going to crap out on me soon.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 9: Three**

_Soma sat up, gasping for air. "Where am I?" He looked around and saw several paintings on the wall, a dresser placed next to the bed he was on, and a window overlooking a large city. He looked out and saw that it was night outside. "What happened?" Soma looked down and saw bandages wrapped around his body. He grabbed his head and a pool of disturbing memories flooded his mind. "Sol…" Soma gritted his teeth. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when a door on the far side of the room opened._

"_I see you're awake." a young woman with green hair tied into 2 long pony tails, green eyes, pale skin, and a white and yellow healers dress came in, holding a tray with 2 cups of tea. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Agnes, the healer of Emain Macha." Agnes said as she set the tray down on a small coffee table._

"_Agnes…" Soma repeated the name. "Excuse me, do you know how I got here?" Soma asked._

"_Someone brought you here this morning, saying you needed immediate attention. Then he asked for a map of the continent." Agnes explained. "When I pulled one out, he snatched it and left a bag of gold coins on the counter. I feel kind of bad, though. That old map wasn't worth a fraction of what he left me."_

"_What did this guy look like?" Soma asked._

"_He had white hair and blue eyes. He looked a little distressed and frantic, yet at the same time calm. I think he said his name was Sol…" Agnes said, deep in thought, making sure she remembered correctly._

"Sol…"_ Soma clenched his fist and spoke calmly. "Did he say where he was going?" _

"_No, just that he needed to know the area well."_

"_I see." Soma looked out the window, anger on his face. "I guess I'll just have to find him the old fashioned way._

________________________________________________________________________

**Paladin recruitment building, Soma's temporary recovery room**

An intense silence filled the room as Soma finished his part of the tale. Shaosu stared in disbelief while Nao sat on a nearby stool, looking at the floor. Sera was in a corner comforting Kai who was mumbling something about divine punishment in a corner.

"Not long after the incident, I found myself here and signed up for the knights as soon as I recovered. I rose quickly through the ranks in my 4 years of service and I eventually met you." Soma said looking at Shaosu.

"So the reason you neglected to tell me this while I trained under you was because you didn't want me being consumed by revenge?" Shaosu clarified.

"Yes, I-" Soma began.

"Don't feed me that crap!" Shaosu yelled. "If what you say is true, then shouldn't you have taken your own advice? All you did was try to take revenge yourself! You weren't thinking about anyone else at all!" Shaosu yelled in rage.

"Shaosu, Wait a minute!" Sera said, turning her attention away from Kai.

" No! No more waiting." Shaosu's hands were trembling. "I'm going to find that bastard myself, and end this!"

"Wait!" Kai said stepping in front of Shaosu as he moved towards the door, recovering from his depression, magically. "Do you even know where Sol is at this point? Where would you start? What will you do when you catch him? Do you have any answers for these questions at all?" Kai scolded.

"What do you expect me to do? Just let That murderer run around and do as he pleases?" Shaosu exclaimed.

Nao wanted to say something, to clear the confusion up but a voice in the back of her head was stopping her, someone begging her not to reveal her secret. "I see…" Nao whispered.

"That's exactly what we want you to do." A booming voice entered the room. Kai turned around and saw Craig in the doorway.

Kai staggered back in surprise. "Commander Craig…" another figure was behind him and caught Kai's attention. "…and… big brother?" Kai looked at Sai in shock.

"How's it going little bro? Keeping on the right side of the law I assume?" Sai said in an accusing tone.

"Brother?" Sera inquired.

"You mean you didn't know Sera?" Soma said. "Kai is the middle child of 3 siblings, each one mastering some form of combat or martial art. Sai is the eldest of the 3 and is one of our best scouts."

"Thanks for the history lesson Captain Soma but aren't there more pressing concerns?" Sai interrupted.

"Yes, there is." Craig said. "Captain Soma Hecate. As of now, you and your brigade are no longer in charge of the case surrounding the criminal, Sol Invictus!" Craig announced. Soma's and Shaosu's eyes widened in surprise.

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras Inn**

An awkward silence filled the room when Sol finished his story. Sol leaned against the wall, looking at the floor while the others sat at their beds, taking in what they just heard.

"So that's the reason we're doing this? Why you're doing this?" Toran said. Sol nodded.

"What about this 'Vice' character? Was he the reason you went berserk those few times?" Diana asked.

Sol nodded again and spoke. "However, it started happening more frequently than before. Maybe he knows the opportunity to obtain Cichol's power is finally here." Sol speculated.

"And what about his offer? Do you really think he can bring Luna back to life?" Toran asked.

"Not likely, but to be perfectly honest, I did consider his offer at one point. But that didn't last." Sol said.

"Will this pose a problem in the future?" Lydia asked. "Will the periods when Vice takes control become more frequent as time goes on?"

"Hard to say at this point but, I'd watch out if I were you guys." Sol and Lydia looked directly into each others eyes. "And I'll tell you the same thing that Luna told me. If it looks like I can't get back in control, take me down on the spot." There was no hesitation and no wavering in his voice.

"You've really prepared yourself for this haven't you?" Lydia said, grinning.

"You know it." Sol replied. "And, once again, if this bothers any of you, you may leave now and-"

"Would you quit asking that already? We told you back in Bangor. We're not quitting." Diana said.

Sol looked around the room, looked at the determined faces of his friends, and chuckled. "Sometimes, I can't tell if you guys are brave or reckless." Sol then stepped over to an empty bed, removed his shoes, gauntlets and cloak. "We'll discuss the info I have tomorrow." With that, everyone decided to go to sleep and prepared to do so.

**A few hours later**

Sol laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He remembered what he said about not being interested in Vice's offer. In reality, he was conflicted between his desire to fulfill the duty that Luna couldn't and the desire to see her, just one last time. _"What should I do? Could he bring Luna back? Maybe if he's desperate he could… No! what am I thinking? I can't trust a fomor… especially one like him."_ Sol rolled over in his bed and went to sleep.

"_**Just so you know…" **_A voice rang out in Sol's head._** "My offer still stands…"**_

"Shut up…" Sol muttered in his sleep.

________________________________________________________________________

**Paladin Recruitment office**

"What do you mean we're taken off the case?" Shaosu protested.

"I mean you are no longer in charge of bringing in Sol. I will assign you to a different mission." Craig said coldly.

"Sir, what is the reason for this?" Soma inquired.

"Because you neglected to inform us of your connection to the suspect." Craig began. "When you brought the issue up, you said that you had little to no actual contact with him when in reality, the only reason you took the case was to take your own petty revenge." Craig said condemningly.

"Although that is true, My brigade is considered to be one of the best-" Soma was soon interrupted.

"Yes, you are one of the best. You've completed every mission bestowed upon you since you became one of the youngest captains at age 18. But what about now?" Craig said. "When I gave you missions, you carried them out, quickly and efficiently. Not only that, but you also made sure that each and every single one of your men came home without a scratch on them. And now, you come in with practically half your body covered in wounds, several badly injured soldiers and 3 confirmed deaths! And after all this you still allowed the target to get away. You acted, not for the good of the people but for your own selfish need for revenge."

Soma wanted to counter it, but found no words. What Craig said was the exact truth. _"It's true… I left the chain of command open, allowed my brigade to be destroyed."_ Soma gritted his teeth. "Then… Who will be assigned to Sol?" Soma asked.

"I will move the mission over to the River brigade." Craig said.

"Captain River?" Kai said.

"I'm sure my captain will be grateful." Sai bowed to Craig and flashed a sneer at Kai. "I'll inform him in the morning." Sai then turned and walked towards the door.

"Sir, please reconsider!" Shaosu pleaded.

"I'm sorry Shaosu, but this is how it has to be. I know all about Soma's ties to this person as well as what your ties are. I can't take any risks, even with you." Craig replied.

Shaosu clenched his fists. "If that's it… then… I'll chase after him myself!" Shaosu darted out of the room and out the building.

"Wait, Shaosu!" Nao (still in her Naomi disguise) ran off after him.

Craig was about to follow when Kai stopped him.

"With all due respect sir, just let him go." Kai said calmly. "We already told him that he has nothing to go on. And I doubt that he's so stupid that he'd start walking up and down the continent to search for him. He just needs time to cool off." As Kai finished, Craig relaxed a little.

"Very well then, I'll give you your new assignment in the morning." Craig turned to Sera, Soma .and Kai, and saluted. The others replied and Craig left.

"Sir? What will we do now?" Sera asked.

"I'm sure that Shaosu will be alright but for now, we wait, and see how things turn out. I'm not just going to let this die." Soma said. Clenching his fists.

"Whatever your decision is, at the very least you have me and Kai behind you." Sera said, Kai nodding in confirmation.

"Thank you, everyone." Soma smiled as he looked out the window.

**With Shaosu**

Shaosu darted off through the dark streets of Emain Macha toward his house. "I'm not just going to let this go…" Shaosu muttered to himself. He soon stopped when he heard a familiar voice calling after him.

"Shaosu! Wait a minute!" Nao came running after him.

"Nao? What are you doing here?" Shaosu said, immediately looking around to make sure no one heard what he just said.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Nao said, stopping to catch her breath.

"What does it look like? I'm going to find Sol and kick his teeth in!" Shaosu replied.

"Do you have any idea where he is? Are you just going to wander around until you find him?" Nao asked.

"It's better than sitting around." Shaosu replied.

"Do you remember what happened last time? You'll just end up in bandages again!" Nao began to yell. "Don't you even care what-"

"Do I care!?" Shaosu interrupted. "The question is do _you_ care? You're supposed to be some kind of guardian spirit right? Couldn't you have stopped the attack? Stopped Sol from murdering Luna or better yet, saved the people at the manor from being trapped there altogether?" Shaosu stepped forward.

"The truth is that all of you gods and spirits don't really care about humans at all do you? We're nothing more than marionettes dancing on a stage for you." Shaosu accused.

"That's not…" Nao tried to say something but was drowned out.

"In the end, there's not much difference between you or the fomors! You're all the same… You're all monsters!" Shaosu yelled, rage on his face. However this quickly turned to shock when he realized what he just said.

"I see…" Nao said. "If that's how you feel…"

"Wait…Nao I-" Shaosu tried to place his hands on Nao's shoulders and apologize but was pushed away.

"If that's how you feel, then just go!" Nao said, tears in her eyes. She then ran off down the street.

"Wait Nao! I'm sorry!" Shaosu called, but she was too far away to hear him, and even if she did he doubted she wanted to listen. "Damn it…" Shaosu said slapping his head.

"Looks like you screwed up, my boy!" a deep voice said from behind.

"Waaahhh!" Shaosu jumped up and turned around. He saw a tall man with a strong build. He wore a dark brown adventurer's suit which looked a little stretched on his muscular body. He had very dark skin, brown eyes and chocolate colored hair. "Richiev…" Shaosu heard a barking noise and looked down. "…and Shadow." Shaosu looked back up at Richiev. "What are you 2 doing out here?" Shaosu asked.

"I heard some yelling when I went to get some last minute groceries and decided to check it out." Richiev said. Shadow barked in response.

"How much did you hear?" Shaosu said, hoping that he didn't hear everything.

"I was too far away to actually make out any words but I could tell it was you and a woman. Sounds like you'll need to find a new girlfriend." Richiev chuckled.

"I-It's not like that! She's just a friend!"

"Uh-huh, that's what they all say." Richiev said, grinning. "Anyway, I was going to ask you to come home with me but I think you'd better settle things with your girlfriend before anything else." Richiev turned around and walked down the road, shadow following close behind. "You know where to find us!"

"She's not my… Oh forget it." Shaosu turned around and ran off to catch up with Nao.

**With Nao**

"Maybe I shouldn't have run off so fast…" Nao said as she wandered aimlessly around the night covered city of Emain Macha. As she wandered, her attention was brought to some music and shouting. "What's going on?" Nao saw a small building with light shining through it. Shadows could be seen dancing to the rhythm of the music coupled with the sounds of laughter and breaking glass. "_Must be a bar… I should just turn around and…_" As Nao was about to turn, 3 men burst out, drunk out of their minds. What Nao noticed about all 3 of them is that they looked exactly alike, aside from their clothes. They all had short brown hair and eyes, had pale skin, and the drunk smile that said "for the next couple of hours, F everything!" Nao looked at each of the 3 men. _"Triplets?_"

"Well now…(hiccup) Whatsh a nishe lady like dish doin outh here?" One of them slurred and stepped forward. "Shomeone likesh you could … get hurt around… here." The man burped and stepped forward.

Nao stepped back, disturbed. "Um… thanks for the warning but… I have to go." Nao said, becoming uncomfortable.

The man's expression grew a little more serious. "Hey now… What'sh wrong with you? (hiccup) you looks like you got shomefing on your mind…" The man started to sound less drunk but he was still pretty hammered.

"Actually…" Nao stammered, trying to think of an excuse to leave.

"Why donth youz tell ush all about it?" The man hiccupped again.

**With Shaosu**

"Where is she?" Shaosu said as he ran around the street he saw Nao run down. "It shouldn't be this hard should it?" Before long, Shaosu heard voices around the corner, one of them was Nao's. "That's her! But who's with her?" Shaosu rounded the corner, he saw 3 tall figures surrounding Nao. "Get away from her you creeps!" Shaosu leaped up and attempted to plant both his feet in the face of the guy in the center.

"…I mean, he doesn't have to get that mad does he!?" Nao said to the man in the center of the trio.

"Yeah… I totally get what you're saying…" The man said, sounding almost completely sober. As he was about to continue, he was smashed to the ground by 2 armored feet crashing into him.

"Big bro!" the other 2 yelled.

"Take that you sick basta-" Shaosu was slapped over the head by Nao. "what was that for?" He asked.

"I was talking to him!" Nao said, pointing to the man under Shaosu's foot.

"Oh…Uh…" Shaosu looked at the other 2 brothers. "Sorry about that…" Shaosu stepped off and allowed the brothers to pick up their brother and leave.

"See you around miss!" One of them called back.

As Shaosu and Nao watched them walk off, Nao turned around and began to walk off again. "Hey! Wait a minute!" Shaosu said, grabbing Nao's arm.

"What do you want?" Nao said, angrily.

"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry." Shaosu said solemnly.

"That's it? Just sorry?" Nao asked.

"Well, I was planning on a heart to heart chat but it seems those guys did it for me." Shaosu said pointing his thumb at the 3 brothers walking down the road, too far down to hear them. "So basically, I'm sorry. I acted foolishly and I was wrong." Shaosu said clapping his hands together and bowing his head.

"And?"

"And I was acting immature and you didn't deserve the insults I threw at you." Shaosu said, looking at Nao in the eye. "So what do you say? Forgive me?"

"Hmmm… Nah…" Nao said.

"Do you want me to beg!!?" Shaosu protested.

"Relax, I was just joking. But you need to control yourself more. That impulsive attitude will get you hurt someday." Nao scolded.

"Says the person who has non-existent combat experience." Shaosu responded.

"So what will you do now? Go back to base?" Nao asked.

"Not now… I was thinking about going to my house. Why don't you come along? I'm sure Richiev will be glad to have you." Shaosu offered.

"Richiev?"

"My guardian since my parents were killed." Shaosu said.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that." Nao said, sorrowfully.

"That's fine, I've gotten over it… sorta." Shaosu scratched the back of his head. "So what do you say? We have an extra room, and it's sure as hell better than staying at the military barracks." Shaosu offered again.

Nao thought a moment. "Alright, why not." Shaosu and Nao smiled at each other and walked side by side as they walked towards Shaosu's house.

**With the 3 brothers**

"Are they gone?" one of them asked.

"Yes…" another replied.

"Good, now come back to me." Said the one in the center. The other 2 brothers melted down and receded into the center brother's body. "Now then… Lord Vulcan, Ive made contact with the targets. So far all I can confirm is that the boy has powerful lower body strength." The man said.

"What about the girl?" Vulcan's voice resounded from the shadows of a dark alleyway. He wasn't clad in his usual armor but in a long black robe.

"I wasn't able to confirm our suspicions on the girl, but we should still keep an eye on her." The young man said.

"Vulcan sighed. "I see, thank you Triad." Vulcan said to his subordinate.

Triad simply grinned and got down on one knee. "Thank you sir, is there anything else?"

"No, you may leave for now." Vulcan said, dismissing him. As Triad left Vulcan reflected on the events that have transpired thus far.

________________________________________________________________________

**2 days ago, unknown location**

"_**Vulcan, do you know why you've been summoned here?"**__ A voice boomed through a large, pitch black, circular room. A large number of tables formed a ring around the center with a gap facing the doorway. Several chairs were lined up on the outside edge of the ring, some of them empty but many were filled. _

_Vulcan stood in the center of this ring, a spotlight focused on him. He looked around, 2 he could see, were Diran and Tanya. Everyone else was too far into the dark to be recognizable. "Is it about Sol, Lord Cichol?" Vulcan asked._

"_**Not exactly."**__ Cichol's voice echoed. __**"I am assigning you a new target. Instead of Sol you will be investigating a small unit under the command of Soma Hecate."b**_

"_Hecate… wait, is he from that mansion that our forces attempted to breach 4 years ago?" Vulcan asked._

"_**Yes, one of 2 survivors. We believe that one of Soma's men has made contact with Nao although we aren't entirely sure. Why she would interfere in this matter is unknown."**_

"_Shouldn't you be able to tell if it was her?" Vulcan questioned. _

"_Do you doubt our leader Vulcan?" Diran asked._

"_It's not that, I just feel that we shouldn't turn our focus away from Sol." Vulcan replied._

"_**I understand your grudge against him but I already have things under control with Sol. Besides, you know you must put the needs of the order over your own." **__Cichol pointed out. __**"So… what do you say?"**__ Cichol asked._

_Vulcan looked down at the floor. "Alright, my lord. I will obey your orders without hesitation." Vulcan bowed and exited the room._

________________________________________________________________________

**Present**

"Sometimes I hate my job…" Vulcan muttered as he adjusted his hood and walked deeper into the alley.

**With Shaosu and Nao**

"Well, this is it!" Shaosu declared in front of a small 2 story house. "It looks bigger on the inside." Shaosu led Nao in and was greeted by Richiev's voice.

"Shaosu! Welcome home!!" Rishiev yelled. Shadow dashed forward and leaped on to Shaosu, and started to lick him.

"Hey, c'mon boy! Knock it off." Shaosu said laughing. Eventually Shado got off and began sniffing Nao.

"He's a friendly one isn't he." Nao said kneeling down to pet shadow.

"Yeah, he's like that with everybody. Especially cute girls for some reason…" Shaosu said trailing off. "Anyway, let me make introductions. That's Richiev over there. He was a friend of my parents and took me in when they died. And this guy over here is shadow. Me and Richiev found him a couple of years back when we were in the woods, gathering fire wood. He was caught in a bear trap and we set him loose, he's been with us ever since." Shaosu said, patting Shadow on the head.

"How sweet." Nao said smiling.

"So anyway. Richiev, can Naomi stay here for the night? We're probably going to head out tomorrow or something." Shaosu asked.

"She can stay as long as she wants. Welcome to our humble home." Richiev said as he offered his hand out to Nao. Nao smiled and shook it.

"Let me show you around." Shaosu said and led Nao upstairs

"This is the room you will be staying in. It used to be ceez's room and I'd like to keep it the way it is. So try not to destroy anything." Shaosu said jokingly.

"I see…" Nao had a bit of a sorrow on her face.

"Anyway… That's Richiev's room down the hall and my room is right across from yours. So if you need anything, just knock." Shaosu said.

"Shaosu!" Nao said. "What will you do now?" Nao asked. "I was going to try and find Sol, but like you said, I have nothing to go on. So I guess I'll just stick with my unit and do what I can from there." Shaosu said. "What about you? Don't you have a soul stream to watch over?" Shaosu asked.

"I have some insurance set in place."

**Soul Stream**

A bright light flashed and a young man stumbled forward. "What the hell? Where am I!?" The man looked around wildly and saw a figure in the distance. He walked towards and saw a girl with white hair, blue eyes, and a black dress holding out a box. The man stepped forward and noticed that it was just a cardboard cut out. "What the hell is this!?" The man looked in the box and saw a label that said "Take one" The man saw bread and took it. A flash of white enveloped him as soon as he did so and he found himself standing on a hill. A small figure with a helmet covering his face was seen sitting on a stump, eating a bowl of noodles.

"Oh great… another one." The small man said.

**Back with Shaosu and Nao**

"As far as I can see, it works out pretty well." Nao said, smiling innocently.

"R-right…" Shaosu said, a little perplexed at the simplicity of how her substitute was chosen…or made. "Anyway… Good night…" Shaosu said, not knowing how to respond to the story he just heard.

"Yeah… night." Shaosu and Nao smiled as they both closed their respective doors.

________________________________________________________________________

**Tir Chonail**

"So Lassar told you to visit Toran's teacher, Stewart, back in Dunbarton?" Diana said.

"Yeah, Basically. She said he was studying the subject and probably knows more about it than most" Sol said. "But I really don't want to go after we just got back from there."

"Hold on… I think I know about it." Toran spoke up. "I read his report. It doesn't really have anything important written on it other than what we already know, but Stewart really believed in the story." Toran began to rummage around in his robe, looking for something. "He gave me something when I asked him about it. He said that this locket belonged to Tarlach, one of the 3 warriors." Toran pulled out a golden locket and opened it. There were 2 figures inside, a young boy and an older girl.

"So we don't have to take the trip!" Sol cheered. Everyone stared at him. "Uh… ahem!… And we have an important clue to solving the mystery of what happened to the 3 lost warriors. (important sounding voice)"

"Anyway… We speculated that the young boy on the right of the picture is a young Tarlach and on the left is his sister, supposedly." Toran said, pointing to each one. "From what Stewart told me, Tarlach spent his whole life, searching for Tir Na Nogg, and trying to rescue the goddess Morrighan."

"Another victim in this twisted game." Sol muttered.

"This locket also contains his memories. Stewart said that if we place it on that altar in Alby Dungeon, we should be able to look into Tarlach's history for a bit."

"So our next stop is Alby Dungeon." Lydia said.

"There's just one catch. It can only be used by 3 people, no more and no less." Toran pointed out. "Makes sense, considering there were 3 adventurers. But who will go?" Toran asked.

"I think Sol should decide. After all, he's the one who brought us all together anyway." Diana suggested.

"I suppose that's fair." Lydia said. "Alright Sol, choose."

"I guess…" Sol looked at each of them. "I pick Toran, Diana and Myself." Sol said. "Toran since he probably knows the most about this, myself because I have a fragment of Morrighan's power, and Diana because… well she was the second one to join the team." Sol said, sounding slightly unsure about his decision.

"Why didn't I get a meaningful reason like you two?" Diana said in a huff.

"Well I would say you had good long range capabilities but I'm not sure if we'll be in actual combat this time around."

"I like the arrangement. From what Stewart's paper says, the 3 warriors consisted of a mage, Tarlach, a swordsman, Ruairi, and an archer, Mari. So with all 3 of us together, that should be an even fit."

"Are you guys done talking or what?" Lydia called from on top of a hill. She and Rudi had gotten themselves a head start.

"Coming!" Sol, Diana, and Toran said.

**Albey Dungeon**

"So do we just drop it here?" Sol asked. He, Toran, and Diana stood in a triangle formation within the square platform in front of the goddess statue. Lydia and Rudi were waiting outside the platform, watching intently.

"I guess we do…" Toran held up the Locket in front of him.

"No incantation? No ritualistic dance or something?" Sol asked.

"Stewart never mentioned anything like that when I asked him." Toran clarified. Toran then dropped the locket and watched as it fell. The locket landed with a clang as it hit the center, silence was all that followed.

"…" Sol stared, irritated at the locket. "Did you throw it right?" Sol asked.

"I don't think there's supposed to be a 'right' way to throw something." Diana said.

"Well maybe there's supposed to be some kind of trigger to it." Sol went over and picked up the locket. The markings on his arm began to glow. "What the…" Immediately, a flash of light engulfed the room as Sol, Diana, and Toran fell down, unconscious.

"What in the world? Guys!" Lydia and Rudi attempted to reach their friends but something was blocking them from entering the platform. "What is this? A barrier or something?" Lydia touched the invisible wall that was blocking her and the area where her hand touched glowed blue on contact. "What happens now?" Lydia wondered out loud.

________________________________________________________________________

**Albey Dungeon (past)**

Sol groaned as he rolled over on the ground. "What happened…?" Sol sat up and looked around. He was on the same platform he was on a second ago, minus Lydia and Rudi. "Where is everyone?" When Sol got up he heard a clanking sound. "Huh?" Sol looked over himself and saw that he was fully clad in studded Oregon armor. "When did I get these?!" Sol looked at his wais and pulled out his sword, finding that it was different than his Katana. "A broadsword?" Sol looked at his reflection in the blade. He no longer had white hair and blue eyes, he now had red hair and eyes, and his skin was very lightly tanned compared to his original pale complexion. "Guys! What happened to us?… Guys!" Sol went over to a prone figure wearing a brown robe. "Toran! Wake up! Look what happened to me!" Sol shook Toran and stepped back in surprise at what he found. "Look what happened to you!" Sol pointed.

"Do you have to be so loud? Seriously, what if you got the attention of a monster or something." Toran complained and realized something. "Are these Glasses? When did I need glasses?" Toran said pulling them off and, upon realizing he couldn't see clearly, put them back on.

"That's not all, look!" Sol held up his blade and let Toran look at his reflection.

Toran saw that he now had short blond hair instead of his brown, emoish hairstyle. "What the hell? I'm blonde! I don't want to be a blonde!" Toran looked at Sol. "And what happened to you!?"

"That's my line!" Sol yelled.

"Yeah well… you guys don't even want to see what happened to me!" Diana yelled.

"Why? I can't be any worse than me or Toran!" Sol saw a figure huddled over in a corner.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw me!" Diana yelled.

Sol then noticed that all their voices sounded slightly different. "Hey, come out Diana, it can't be that bad. And if it is I promise I won't laugh" Sol said crossing his heart.

"Well… Alright." Diana stepped out into the light and Sol and Toran's jaws dropped. Diana now had pink hair wrapped into a ponytail and light red eyes. She had what appeared to be a school uniform with a leather pad strapped to her chest. She also had a small bow and arrow set strapped to her back. "I told you it was ba-"

Diana was interrupted by Sol and Toran's laughter. "You… you… you look like a freaking kindergartener… ha ha ha ha ha." Sol laughed

"Now…now c'mon Sol… (snicker) we have to … ha ha… We have to focus on the task at ha… han… ha ha ha." Even Toran couldn't stop laughing.

An anger mark appeared on Diana's head. "Shut up! It's not funny!" Diana charged at Sol and pounded on his stomach since she couldn't reach his face.

"Hey, hey, hey… Calm down little lady." Sol said pushing on Diana's forehead, keeping her just out of reach. "So Toran, What's happened to us?"

"I'm guessing that the locket reacted to the seal on your arm and, instead of us seeing the memory, we're going to experience the memory." Troan speculated. "And if my assumption is correct… this body must be Tarlach's, yours must be Mari's, and yours must be Ruairi's."

"How does that work?" Sol let Diana go as she stumbled forward. He walked over to the goddess statue and a flash of light enveloped them again. "Not again!"

"Look!" Diana had a surprised expression as another pink haired girl walked right out of her, this one was transparent. The same thing happened with Sol and Toran.

"So your school sends it's students into a dark, dangerous place like this as an assignment?" Ruairi said as he looked around. "Can't believe there are teachers who send little girls to places like this."

"Don't talk about teacher Ranald like that, Ruairi!" Mari yelled. "You just can't comprehend how awesome he is!" The girl had a confident smile on her face.

"I guess even a girl like Mari can't resist a young male teacher…" Ruairi teased.

"I'm sure it's not that dangerous." Tarlach said. "If they assign this to students, then it can't be that bad right?"

"It'll be fine!" Mari smiled. "You should know that everyone from Tir Chonail is strong!"

"Well what are we waiting around for? Let's go!" Ruairi said and walked off towards the stairs, Mari and Tarlach followed. Their apparitions disappearing as they went along.

"I guess that's our cue." Sol said as he stepped forward and followed the direction the apparitions took.

As the 3 descended into the lower chambers, they heard some strange noises. "What's that?" Diana said as she readied her bow. "What's that noise?"

"It's nothing to worry about." Sol said casually. "This is all just one big hallucination right? If we run into anything, those 3 apparitions will appear again and take care of them right? Whatever's making that noise won't be able to touch us. Hell, I doubt that it would be able to even notice us." As sol finished his sentence, he was tackled to the ground by an unusually large spider. "What the hell!" Sol said, holding it back as it tried to bite him.

"I guess that's what's been in this dungeon a few years ago." Toran speculated.

"Kind of creepy huh?" Diana added.

"Would you guys just help me!" Sol said, moving his head from side to side as the spider kept on lunging in to bite it off.

"Fine, quit whining." Toran channeled an ice spell and impaled the spider on the wall with an icicle.

"Jeez!" Sol got up, brushing some dust off his armor. "If this is an assignment, I'd hate to see what a punishment is like." Sol eventually heard more crawling sounds and looked around. "Oh great, more of them." Several spiders crawled out of the shadows. "So we have to do the actual fighting while those other 3 just have to appear and have vague conversations?" Sol said as he readied his sword.

"Basically." Toran replied.

"That's Bull sh-" Sol was cut off as all 3 of them were swarmed.

________________________________________________________________________

**Emain macha, Richiev's house**

"That's everything!" Shaosu said.

"Are all set?" Nao called from outside.

"Yeah! I'm-"

"Hold on there for a second." Richiev said, holding an unusually long case. "Before you head out, I want you to have something." Richiev laid the case down and opened it. Inside was a huge, sheathed claymore. In the center of it's gold plated hilt was a reddish orange jewel. Shaosu picked it up and turned it around. On the other side was a yellow jewel. "That was your brothers sword."

"How did you find this?" Shaosu asked, as he unsheathed the blade.

"When the knights saw the fire in the distance, they sent some people to check it out. I was on one of the search parties. We eventually came across an underground chamber that seemed to house something important, but it was empty save for a few charred remains. Near one of the ash piles I found this sword. It had Ceez's name etched into the handle." Richiev explained. Shaosu looked at the handle, confirming Richiev's claim. "I was going to give it to you when you joined the nights as a little surprise, but you went off on that mission before I got the chance. So, there you go, it's yours now." Richiev smiled.

Shaosu smiled back. "Thanks Richiev." Shaosu strapped off the claymore on his back and strapped on his brothers sword.

"Looks good on ya kid." Richiev gave a thumbs up as Shadow barked in agreement. Shaosu smiled and joined Nao outside.

"You ready?" She asked.

"You know it." Shaosu and Nao walked off towards HQ.

**Paladin HQ, Craig's office**

Soma, Sera, and Kai stood at attention in front of Craig's desk. "Alright, are you ready to hear your next mission?" Craig asked.

"Always am sir!" Soma responded.

"I know how you feel Soma. You still want revenge on Sol don't you?" Craig asked. Soma remained silent. "Don't bother hiding it. For reasons like yours, no sane person could let go of a grudge like this over night." Craig shifted in his seat. "Although River is in charge of Sol's mission officially, I will allow you to act on it as well. However, It will be on your own time, you will not be able to use our resources. This means that you won't be allowed to mobilize your brigade in order to catch him. If anyone wishes to help you, they can do so, but they will have the same restrictions as you." Craig said. "Obviously, this also means that you won't be able to take any action against Sol during official missions.

Soma's face showed a mix of surprise and joy. "Th-thank you sir!" Soma bowed.

"Now then, on to your actual mission." Craig pulled out a folder. "You and your brigade are to investigate sightings of black knights in several areas."

"Black knights? What are they doing now?" Kai asked.

"That's why I'm asking you to investigate." Craig said.

"Where should we start?" Soma asked.

"The most recent sighting is in a small village called Torim." Craig said. "It's a relatively backwater town, not that many people really know about it. But we recently got a request from them, and claims that a group of black knights is operating near their town. You are to got there and wipe out any hostile forces. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" All 3 of them snapped a salute.

"Good. Dismissed!"

As Soma, Kai, and Sera left the building, Shaosu and Nao were seen running up the steps to the entrance.

"Sir! Did we receive our next mission?" Shaous said as Soma approached him.

"Yes, we're to head to the village of Torim and investigate the sightings of black knights in the area." Soma explained. "I'll give you the full details on the way, for now make sure your prepared." Shaosu gave a confirming nod and followed the rest of his team.

Kai moved over next to Nao and spoke. "Hey, how long exactly have you been in that disguise?"

"I guess, since I got here. Why do you ask?" Nao replied.

"Just a little curious. And what about the soul stream, shouldn't you be there instead of here?" Kai asked.

"Let me explain it to you."

________________________________________________________________________

**Somewhere in Albey Dungeon**

Sol collapsed on the floor of a large room as the trio finally made it past all the Spiders. When Diana and Toran helped him up, the apparitions of Ruairi, Tarlach, and Mari appeared again, this time setting up a fire.

"Lets rest here for a while." Tarlach said, sitting down.

"There are so many spiders here, huge ones too!" Ruairi complained.

"If you think those are big, just wait till you see the one at the bottom." Mari said.

"They get bigger?" Sol muttered, knowing full well that they wouldn't hear him.

"I wonder if this is connected to the sudden increase in aggressiveness in wild animals." Tarlach inquired.

"Yeah, we did see a lot of wolves on the way over here." Ruairi added.

"You mean it wasn't always like that?" Mari asked.

"Yeah! A few years back, this was nothing but a quiet country side. Are you sure you're from around here?" Ruairi said.

"Of course I am! I just can't remember is all…" Mari looked at the floor, her expression turning solemn.

"Oh… sorry, I forgot you lost your memory." Ruairi apologized.

"You said that one day you just couldn't remember anything right? You didn't hit your head or anything?" Tarlach questioned. Mari nodded. "Then it was probably sealed by druid magic. My master was able to do it as well. Don't worry too much about it though, I'm sure it wasn't meant for some evil purpose." Tarlach reassured Mari.

"Thanks, Tarlach. Your a lot nicer that that jerk Ruairi." Mari said.

"I'm not a jerk! And don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Ruairi said.

"To be honest, I wish I could forget my memory sometimes as well." Tarlach admitted.

"Are you referring to when your sister was killed by fomors?" Ruairi asked.

"Ruairi!" Mari yelled.

"It's fine, Mari. It's also true, The reason I'm searching for Tir Na Nogg with Ruairi is so I can find her again." Tarlach said.

"You guys don't need to worry about a thing! I'll take out all the fomors that get in our way!" Ruairi said, punching the air.

"Your such a brute, Ruairi." Mari said.

"Heh, heh… Anyways, we should get going." Tarlach, Mari, And Ruairi got up and moved on, their apparitions disappearing once again.

Sol sighed, exhausted. "We better get going too."

"This is starting to get fun!" Toran said.

"_For you at least…I" _Sol and Diana thought in their heads.

________________________________________________________________________

**Albey Dungeon (Present)**

"What do you think is happening to them?" Lydia asked as Rudi unrolled a blanket and sat down on it. "What's that for?" Lydia asked. Rudi pulled out a couple of plates, silverware, slices of meat, bread, and some water and organized them on the blanket. "How can you think of a picnic at a time like this?" Lydia asked perplexed.

"Anything else to do?" Rudi asked.

Lydia looked at Sol, Diana, and Toran still unconscious in the barrier. "I guess not." Lydia walked over and sat next to Rudi, taking a bite out of a piece of bread.

________________________________________________________________________

**Albey Dungeon (past)**

"Good lord…" Sol stared up at the huge red spider that was in front of him, along with the several other spiders behind it. "Again, Why is this used as a regular assignment!? This is more like a death sentence you give to a convicted criminal except it was denied because it was too inhumane!" Sol said.

"Complaining isn't going to get us out of this!" Toran said as he readied another Ice spell. "just shut up and fight!" Toran let loose as a dozen ice spikes formed and launched themselves at the giant spider in the center and pierced parts of the abdomen while other spikes took down some of the smaller ones.

Sol leaped up and attempted to slash off one of the legs but was knocked back into a wall. As he got up he was surrounded by some of the smaller spiders and swung in a wide arc, cutting each one in half and charged at the large one for another attack. Sol approached from behind and leaped up and aimed for the joints and brought his blade down, hard. The blade sliced almost effortlessly through the leg sending it crashing down. The spider wobbled a little but nothing big.

"Focus on that side! I'll focus on this one!" Toran yelled.

"What should I do!?" Diana said as she impaled 2 more small spiders on the wall.

"Just keep doing that, keep the small fry occupied." Toran said as he set one of the spiders legs on fire. Diana pouted as she continued to fight off the spiders that approached her. "I hate this small body…" she muttered.

"Eat this!" Sol stabbed his sword into another leg and started cutting the leg in an upward direction. Sol channeled some energy into the blade and, as he swung up, the energy was released, cutting the leg in half, the tall way. The spider screamed as it was being taken down, stepping back slightly. "Not yet you don't" Sol attempted to transform into a dark knight but nothing happened. "Oh c'mon! Even that was taken away!" Sol leaped back as the spider attempted to stomp on him. The spider then swatted Toran away with it's burning leg before it finally dissolved into ash. "Toran!" Sol said as he continued to dodge the spiders attacks.

"Hold on guys!" Diana yelled out and fired 3 arrows at the Spiders face, hitting 3 of it's eyes. "Take that!" The spider recoiled back in pain, blood leaking out of it's eyes.

"Nice shot!" Sol said as he took out another leg. Finally sending the spider collapsing in on itself.

"Hey Toran! Wake up already." Diana said as she shook her friend.

"Nngh! What happened?" Toran looked around and saw several dead spiders and the giant one struggling to get back up. "I guess we won huh? Toran said as he got up. "Sol! Finish it up already!"

"You got it!" Sol channeled more energy into his blade and sent it straight at the spider, slicing it in half. "Finally done!" As Sol finished another giant spider appeared in it's place. "Oh come one!" Sol said as he readied his sword again.

"Wait!" Toran said. "Look!" Sol looked and then noticed the apparitions of Mari, Tarlach, and Ruairi, standing before the spider.

"Oh…" Sol said.

Ruairi delivered one last strike against the spider as it fell down, dead. "Ruairi, we need to investigate this. Spiders this huge aren't ordinarily found in Erinn. This is definitely the work of Fomors." Tarlach said, his expression turning grim.

"Aren't they always found in dungeons?" mari asked.

"there's never been this many! I wonder if it's because of the goddess" Ruairi said.

"Goddess? You mean Morrighan? What does this have to do with her?" Mari asked.

"Well… A beautiful goddess came to me in my dreams and told me that the world was in danger." Ruairi said, trying to sound important.

"You sure it wasn't some indecent fantasy." Mari said.

"Ruairi, tell me more about this dream of yours." Tarlach asked.

"Okay… well… This black winged goddess came to me in a dream and told me to come to her, saying the world was in great danger." Ruairi said.

"Black winged goddess… To Tir Na Nogg?" Tarlach mumbled to himself.

"Tarlach, do you know something?" Mari asked.

"Dungeons like these were created to protect Erinn from the dangers of the Fomors by sealing them up. The designs were made so intricate by the goddess residing in Tir Na Nogg. If the number of Fomors is increasing, then something must be wrong with the goddess." Tarlach turned and faced his three friends. "Ruairi's dream could be a message! A cry for help!" Tarlach exclaimed.

"Does that mean I'm the chosen one? Awesome!" Ruairi cheered. The others stared at him in contempt. "Uh… (ahem) If the goddess is calling for help, then it's my duty to give it." Ruairi said.

"I'll go too." Mari said. "Maybe the goddess can help me restore my memory."

"Then it's agreed then." Tarlach said. All 3 of them disappeared once again.

"Well that was… enlightening." Toran said.

"At least now we know that we aren't the only ones on this mission." Diana said.

"But how long ago was this? If these guys went on this journey as well, why was I chosen?" Sol asked.

"Do you think they failed?" Toran asked.

"I don't… hey!" Diana yelled. "I feel kind of strange guys!" Diana fell onto her knees, holding herself and trembling.

"Diana, what's wrong?" Sol was about to approach her when the same thing happened to him and Toran.

"What's going on!?" Toran yelled as all three of them were engulfed in light once more.

________________________________________________________________________

**Albey Dungeon (present)**

Lydia and Rudi turned around as a bright light flashed and the barrier lifted. "Guys!" Lydia and Rudi dropped their food and went to check on their friends.

"Owww! How long was I out?" Sol said and saw Toran and Diana in their original bodies. "Hey! If they're back to normal then…" Sol was immediately hugged by Lydia and tackled to the ground. "Ribs! Ribs!" Sol yelled as Lydia squeezed him.

"Oh! Sorry about that." Lydia got off Sol and stood up.

Diana and Toran both sat up and stretched. "What's going on?" Toran asked.

"That locket started glowing and you guys collapsed! Then a barrier surrounded you and we couldn't get to you." Lydia explained. "So, what happened? Did you get anything out of this?"

Sol grinned. "You bet! We'll fill you in on everything."

________________________________________________________________________

**Paladin HQ, River brigade barracks**

"Captain River, did you get the mission from Craig yet?" Sai said as he opened the door to his captains room.

"Yes Sai. Yes I did." A young man, no older than 30, petted an Owl who had perched himself in the window sill. He had long blond hair, a fair complexion and piercing blue eyes. As the owl flew away, Captain River turned to face his second in command. "How is your brother doing? I haven't seen him since he left our brigade and joined up with that impulsive upstart, Soma." River said, watching the owl fly away.

"I suppose he is fine." Sai said. "When do you wish to head out sir?" Sai asked.

"We head out immediately, inform the others." River went over to his closet and looked at his sparkling white suit of armor. As he began to put it on Sai snapped a salute and ran off to inform the others. AS River clamped on the final piece, he grinned. "That man, Sol, will regret the day he crossed paths with Captain Wrede River!"

________________________________________________________________________

And yet another chapter comes to a close! I'm beginning to feel like I'm making up too many characters in this story to develop them properly.

As a closing comment, I actually intended for Triad to be a random Drunk guy but I made up this character at the last second. And BTW, He can only separate himself into 3 copies and can't do any more than that.

Now we are going to enter the 2 digit numbers!


	10. Chapter 10

We have now reached 2 digits! I always felt like I'd end up abandoning this fic and taking it down weeks later like the last one I tried to do. Well, on with the chapter.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 10: Pianist**

_**4 years ago: Kai 16 years old, Sai 18 years old**_

"_What do you mean she's missing!" Sai held the scout by the collar, yelling in his face. A cold wind howled through the small encampment._

"_I-I told you! We can't find your younger sister anywhere!" The scout responded, frightened._

"_Well look again, damn it!" _

"_We have, 6 times!" The scout responded. "Please! Just let me go!" Sai threw the man to the ground and turned away, frustrated._

_Kai walked next to his brother as the scout ran off. "Still couldn't finder huh?" Kai said, solemnly._

"_Yeah, they can't locate the body." Sai said._

"_Why are you acting like she's dead?"_

"_Why are you acting so calm?" Sai yelled. "Our sister, along with several others, are missing! They could all be dead for all we know." Sai was pacing back and fourth, he kicked a tree stump in frustration. "This was supposed to be a simple training mission!"_

"_The reason I'm so calm is because… well, I have faith." Kai smiled, Sai smiled back. "There's no point getting worked up about it, let's just wait and see."_

_As the day went on, more and more search parties came back to the camp, bringing back several lost students, but none of them were the person the 2 brothers were hoping for. As more and more missing students came in, Kai's reassuring smile faded until it was nothing but a gaping frown on his face. _

_That night, Kai stood at the entrance to the encampment. He stared out into the darkness of the forest, hoping in his heart that his younger sister would stumble out of the void in front of him. He could hear the students describing what happened to them. They said the forest was like a maze, said that there was something hunting them out there, stalking them like pray. Luckily, they only sustained minor injuries either from tripping or some other kind of mistake. _

_Sai eventually joined him. "We'll be leaving for Emain Macha in the morning. You should get some rest." Sai said, resting a hand on Kai's shoulder. _

_Kai took one last look into the darkness. "Yeah… Yeah, you're right." Kai stumbled off towards his tent as Sai remained behind. _

_He too looked into the darkness, a sorrowful expression fixed on his face. He uttered out his sisters name and followed his brother to his tent. "Mai…"_

________________________________________________________________________

**Present time, on the road to Torim**

Soma, Sera, Kai, Shaosu, and Nao who was still in her Naomi disguise, sat in a small carriage. The area around them was thick and filled with trees, the road itself was riddled with roots, creating a bumpy ride for the squad in the carriage. Kai looked out the window, an indifferent look on his face. "It's been exactly 4 years since then." Kai muttered.

"Kai, are you alright? You seem troubled." Nao said, concern in her voice.

Kai put on a wide grin. "Just indulging in memories of the past… Kai swung an arm around Nao, playfully. "Although, if you really want to cheer me up I'd just love it if you-" Kai immediately backed up against his seat as a blade and spear were held inches away from his throat. "Hey now, let's be reasonable."

"Making advances towards a civilian, how despicable." Sera said.

"Why are you acting so carefree now? A day ago you were weeping in a corner awaiting divine punishment for hitting on a guardian spirit." Shaosu said.

"I got over it okay?" Kai noticed a third blade extended from Soma. "Why are you pointing a sword at me!?" Kai asked.

"I felt left out." Soma said, his expression unchanging.

"Don't feed me that crap!" Kai said. "And you! If she's a civilian, then why is she coming along with us!?" Kai asked.

"She's a civilian and a magical spirit. Special privileges are in order." Sera said, pulling her spear away.

"And as for you! If you don't admit that you like her then she's still fair game!" Kai said.

"You're just a human Kai, it wouldn't work out." Shaosu said.

"Could say the same about you buddy." Kai said. Shaosu grumbled and put his sword down, unable to retort.

Kai looked at Soma who still had his sword up. "What about you?" Kai asked.

"I want to test how strong my arm is." Soma grinned. At this moment, Kai snapped.

**Outside**

Vulcan and Triad were sitting in the drivers seats, wearing regular clothes to hide their true nature. Vulcan sneezed. "How can people live out here? It's so cold." Vulcan shivered.

"I heard it's supposed to be really nice during summertime around here." Triad said.

"Does this look like summer to you!?" A rumbling was heard as the carriage started to shake. "Hey! Quiet it in there! The road is already doing a fine job of making this trip uncomfortable, I don't need you helping it!" Vulcan banged on the carriage, angrily. "This is why I hate Paladins." Vulcan grumbled.

"I guess that must be part of why we're enemies then." Triad commented. "What will we do once we meet our comrades in Torim?" Triad asked. Vulcan simply grinned.

________________________________________________________________________

**Unknown area**

_Sol woke up in the middle of a 4 way intersection. The black road stretched in every direction as the concrete towers loomed, ominously, over him. "Not this again…" Sol said to himself. He stood up and looked at the sky which seemed so much farther away than what he was used to._

"_Well this is a nice change in scenery, much better than that gothic room from a few years back." Vice said from behind Sol._

_Sol turned around calmly. After 4 years he knew Vice's game. How he always tempted Sol with his deal, how he constantly pushed his buttons. "What do __you__ want?" He said in an annoyed tone. Sol looked Vice over, how he always wore the same black suit whenever he appeared, how he always looked exactly like Sol, save for the yellow eyes. He wondered why he took that appearance, or if he had a choice in the matter. _

"_Just to chat." Vice said stepping a little closer to Sol. "After all…" Vice swung his arm around his neck. "…We're buddies aren't we?" Vice said smiling a friendly smile._

"_Quit the act, I know what your real agenda is." Sol pushed Vice's arm away. "After all, you try it every couple of days." Sol said. "You just want me to accept your bargain and the only reason you haven't taken over is because of the seal Nao placed on me." Sol said._

"_You've got it half right. But I didn't come here to persuade you to officially accept our deal. I've already planted the seeds of temptation anyway." Vice said grinning. Sol turned away, trying to deny it. "Don't try to hide it… I'm in you head for crying out loud! Evrey single feeling or thought doesn't make itself known without me finding out. But on to my real objective." Vice turned to face Sol and produced a cane out of thin air and leaned on it. "Why don't you ask me?"_

"_Ask about what?" Sol said._

"_Ask me for information on the 3 missing warriors! I was around when they were, I even kept tabs on them at some point! I'm a prime source of information." Vice said, sounding insulted._

"_Well, considering our history together… I don't see why I should even trust you." Sol replied._

"_What, you think I'm going to betray you or something? Please, we're the same being now! Your goals are my goals, your friends are my friends! You can count on me to help you through this!" Vice said._

"_The only reason you want to keep help is because if I go down then so do you." Sol said accusingly._

"_So you should have no doubts about my integrity." Vice retorted. "So c'mon, let me help you out."_

_Sol sighed. "Goodbye Vice." Sol said coldly. As soon as he finished, the area around him shattered like glass and Vice faded from his vision, shrugging casually as he dissolved._

__________________________________________________________________________

**Tir Chonail, Town square**

Sol sat up and yawned, the light of the sun warming his face. He looked to his right, Lydia sat on the steps, to his left, Rudi was conversing with some street merchant. "How long was I out?" Sol asked Lydia.

"About 15 minutes." Lydia said. The group had decided to ask around town about how the three lost warriors earned the "Lost" part of their title with less than satisfactory results. The only thing left to do was wait for Diana and Toran to come back. "I wonder what's taking them so long."

Soon, Diana came walking down from Duncan's house to meet the group. "Hey guys, I'm guessing your search didn't go over so well either, huh?" Diana said, taking a seat next to Sol.

"Did you find out anything useful?" Sol asked.

Diana shook her head. "He said to ask a priest about it but I think Toran went over there already. Is he back yet?" Diana asked.

"No… hopefully it's because it's a long story." Sol said.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Toran finally came running up the hill. "Hey! Guys I've got something." Toran said, waving a book in the air.

"So you have the info we need?" Sol asked as they all stood up.

Toran nodded. "Yeah, Priest Meven told me everything he could. He didn't know the whole string of events but apparently, the warriors reached Tir Na Nogg." Toran said.

"They did? What happened there?" Lydia asked.

"Apparently something went wrong when they got there. They were attacked by someone or something and got separated. Ruairi and Mari were never found but assumed to be dead and Tarlach is the only person who survived." Toran said.

"So all we need to do is find Tarlach." Diana deduced.

"Yeah, and I know just where to start." Toran said. "Meven suggested that we head into Sidhe Sneachta at night and look for a strange altar. He said that even though Tarlach escaped he was no longer able to control his power and must eat Mana herbs to keep it stable. But he's allergic to the stuff so he changes into a bear during the day so he can eat them." Toran finished his story.

"A bear…" Sol remembered the bear he encountered in the mountains a few days back. "Could the bear I encountered be Tarlach?" Sol said.

"Most likely. Now we just have to find him." Toran said.

"Alright then, we head out tonight!" Sol said. Everyone agreed.

________________________________________________________________________

**Ouside Emain macha**

"What do the scout reports say?" Captain River asked as he made sure his armor was firmly set in place. A long scythe was strapped to his back, the sunlight glistening off the curved, polished, blade. A small group of 6 other knights were standing at attention behind him, waiting in anticipation.

"So far, our spies indicate that they're in Tir Chonail, but their heading towards Sidhe Sneachta tonight." Sai said, reading the report aloud.

"Hm… Even if we hurry and take no rest breaks, it'll still take us several days before we get there. They'll have already gone by the time we arrive." River stood there thinking. "From where I stand, The best course of action is to head to Dunbarton and wait for them there. Tir Chonail is a small mountain village, there aren't that many places they can go to from there other than Dunbarton. Or should we station ourselves in the logging camp further up?" River turned to Sai. "What do you think?"

"Sir! I suggest we station ourselves in Dunbarton, shelter and supplies will be much easier to obtain there." Sai said.

"I see, alright then. To Dunbarton it is!" River said raising his fist into the sky, the men yelled in response as the group went off.

________________________________________________________________________

**Outside Torim**

"This is Torim?" Soma asked as he looked at the relatively gloomy town in front of him. The wooden buildings and houses looked decades old and the few people out had an air of, not depression, but there was definitely something odd about the town. To top it all off, a thick fog was spreading. "Somehow, I expected this to be a much happier place." Soma looked around again.

"Something doesn't feel right. Something's missing in this town." Nao said, her face looking paler than usual.

"Hey, are you alright?" Shaosu said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You look a little sick."

"I'm fine, just a little worn out from the trip is all." Nao said, smiling. Shaosu looked worried as he removed his hand from her shoulder.

"Where should we begin our search?" Sera asked.

"Let's just ask someone! It doesn't look like there are many people in this town anyway." Kai said. He turned to the 2 drivers. "What will you guys do?"

"Uh… We'll stick around here for when you guys go home. We'll probably just get sent back up here if we go back anyway." Vulcan said.

"Well if that's what you're going to do, I suggest you tie up those horses. They look a little spooked." Soma said.

"Don't worry, we've been in this business for years! These horses don't spook that easy." Triad attempted to pat a horse on the side but ended up slapping it's ass. The horses went into a frenzy and ran off into town, eventually slamming into a stack of water barrels and destroying the carriage. Vulcan and Triad were speechless.

"Great… Just great. As if being in a creepy town hunting down some black knights wasn't enough, now we have to walk home if we live." Kai said walking into town. The others soon followed.

"So which one of us is in the area sir?" Triad asked Vulcan.

Vulcan scratched his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I haven't been to this area in a while." Vulcan looked around.

Some music was heard in the back ground. "Sir, do you hear a piano playing?" Triad said listening.

Vulcan's eyes widened. "Of course…Ahhh Damn it! I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with him again." Vulcan slapped his forehead. "Of all the places we could've been stuck in, it had to be in the territory of that psychopath."

**Elsewhere**

A young man with slicked back red hair in a tuxedo played a beautiful melody at his piano, seemingly unaware of the world around him. Eventually the rhythm began to hasten, his fingers dancing across the keys, a manic smile spread across his lips. As the music reached a crescendo, the song drew to a close and the man relaxed in his seat. "That felt good…" He then noticed something odd. He looked out the window and saw a crashed carriage and several white armored individuals inspecting the wreckage. "Paladins?" He looked over to the 2 at the village entrance. "And Vulcan as well? This should be entertaining." He grinned.

**With Vulcan**

"That Psychopath?" Triad asked.

"Even by our standards that guy is a freak. His name is Adrian von Kaumpherr. Although he has earned the nickname 'The Musician'." Vulcan said.

**With Soma's group**

"Anything you can save?" Soma asked. Sera and Kai searched the wreckage but didn't get anything useful.

"I think it's safe to say that out luggage is gone." Sera said, holding up a destroyed bag.

"Great, first we have to walk home, and now we don't even have any supplies." Kai complained.

"Don't start that again Kai." Sera said.

As the 2 began to bicker Soma turned to Shaosu and Nao. "Alright, you two see if you can find any info on the black knights and their purpose for being here. I'll see what I can do about transportation." Soma said. Shaosu and Nao nodded and walked off towards the center of town.

As the two of them walked along the streets of the village, they received some very strange looks from the people in the town, a few of them were whispering something to their associates. "You were right earlier. Something is weird about this town. Weren't they the ones who called us here in the first place?" Shaosu said. He looked over and saw that Nao had stopped walking. "Hey what's wrong?" Nao looked a little faint, like she was about to puke. "Hey!" Shaosu rushed over as Nao fell to her knees. "What's wrong?"

"There's something…something in the air… I can't tell what it is…" Nao said, placing a hand over her mouth.

Shaosu took a deep breath and sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything." Shaosu said.

"It's nothing… I'll be fine." Nao said trying to stand up.

"No, it's not nothing. I don't know what it is but if it's affecting you this much then we should probably find an Inn or something." Shaosu said as he helped Nao stand up. "You need to rest, I'll search for info." Nao and Shaosu walked on to find an Inn.

**With Soma**

"Excuse me miss, could you tell us anything about the recent sightings of black knights in the area?" Soma, Sera, and Kai had decided to search the town for info as well, the 2 drivers had said that they could fix the carriage by the time Soma was done with his mission. "Anything you can tell us would be useful."

The old woman they were speaking to gave each of them a condescending look. "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing's happened here in almost 40 years and I doubt that's going to change." The old woman said.

"But we received a request to come here by someone living in this town." Sera said holding up the request paper.

"Let me see that." The old lady snatched it from Sera's grip and looked it over. "Bah! Just a piece of rubbish, maybe a prank played by one of the kids here." She said as she crumpled it up and tossed it at Sera.

Kai looked around and saw no children of any sort. "We seriously doubt that." He said.

The old woman sighed. "Fine, if you really think there's something wrong, go talk to Lyle in the abandoned chapel up north. It's the only one for miles, you can't miss it." The old woman said, pointing north. They could see a small structure in the distance.

"I see, thank you miss." Soma bowed.

"Just don't come by my house again." She said slamming the door.

"Well that was pleasant." Kai said.

"Quit your whining, let's move on." Soma said as they walked towards the chapel.

**With Shaosu**

"This should do." Shaous said as he and Nao entered their room. The two of them had managed to find an Inn and, after a little argument with the manager about "outsiders", managed to rent a room. "You stay here and I'll search the town alright? I'll be back."

"Wait!" Nao said.

"Yes?"

"I think I've finally realized what I was sensing when we were in town."

"What was it?" Shaosu asked.

"I think… I think I was sensing the presence of death." Nao said.

"Death?"

"Yes… I don't know why but the stench of death is practically smeared on every building in this town. Even in this one." Nao said. "I think we should leave right now. We need to find the others and…" Nao saw a figure behind Shaosu. "Look out!"

Shaosu turned around to see the Inn Keeper raise a knife and brought it down with great force.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol's group**

The sun was beginning to set as Sol and the others began to head up the mountain. Sol flipped through the book Toran had given him, he read how the goddess Morrighan aided the humans during the war, how she sacrificed herself so they could thrive, and how each statue in the dungeons is a memorial to honor her, nothing he hadn't heard a million times before. He tossed it back to Toran and wrapped his coat around him. Eventually, the grass gave way to snow and the green of the trees turned into a blinding white.

"So what does this altar look like?" Diana asked.

"It's supposed to be some pedestal jutting out of the ground." Toran replied.

"So we just stumble around in the snow looking for something that looks like a tree stump?" Lydia said.

"Basically." Toran said.

"Why do grand adventures like this always get so complicated?" Lydia said as she adjusted her scarf.

"There's nothing to worry about." Sol said. "I remember the area where I saw the bear the first time. If Tarlach is always near the altar then the place where I saw him couldn't be too far off the mark." Sol deduced.

The group was silent for the rest of the way until they came across the area of the battle they had just 2 days prior. The area still had several scars from before. Broken swords littered the area, burned trees could be pointed out.

"Man… We really messed this place up." Toran said. He then looked at a map. "If what Meven said is right then the druid's altar should be a little ways past the large group of snowmen." Toran said.

"Snowmen?" Diana said.

"Yeah, snowmen?" Toran said making sure he read the directions correctly.

"Yeah, I remember that place. Although, there aren't that many anymore. It's this way, I think." Sol said leading the group through a line of trees. The eventually found the area, but most of the snowmen were either in pieces, or just reduced to a pile of snow. "What'd I tell you?"

"Then from here we go…north!" Toran pointed in the appropriate direction and the group followed. They followed a very steep and long path through the mountain, the snow becoming thicker with every passing step.

"I think I'm beginning to recognize this place." Sol said before bumping into something sticking out of the ground. "What the…" Sol found a small pedestal covered in snow. He wiped it away and found several strange markings on it. "Hey I found it!" He called. The others soon stood around it and stared.

"What now?" Diana asked.

"I guess we wait." Sol said.

**With Tarlach**

Tarlach waded his way through the deep snow as he walked towards his altar. "Why did I have to pick here of all places?" He said adjusting his muffler. Before long he heard voices. "Huh?" He peeked out of a bush and saw five figures, 4 of which were human sized but there was one that towered above all of them. "Who the hell are these people? Bandits?" Tarlach readied a fire spell. "Well they've picked the wrong person to rob. He leaped out of the bush and let the fireball fly.

**With Sol**

"What do you think he's like?" Lydia asked. She was interrupted by a sudden explosion.

"What the hell?" Sol turned around and saw a figure on fire, dancing around. "Hey! He needs help." Sol and Toran rushed over.

"Hang on!" Toran readied a fire spell in one hand, and an Ice spell in another. He mixed them together to spray water all over the flaming person. "Are you alright?" Toran said, helping the man up.

"Yes I'm (cough) I'm fine." The man looked at Toran directly.

"Hold on, you're…"

"You're Tarlach!" Sol said.

"Hey, you're that kid from the other day." Tarlach said.

**Later…**

"I see…" Tarlach held a cup of coffee in his hand, all 6 of them were sitting around a small camp fire. "So you too are searching for Tir Na Nogg." Tarlach took a sip out of his cup.

"Yes, we are. Can you yell us anything about it?" Toran asked.

"I'm afraid that I can't tell much more than what you may have already found out. Tir Na Nogg is supposed to be a paradise, a place that should only exist in dreams. Some people consider it to be an afterlife of sorts." Tarlach said.

"Mr. Tarlach." Sol began.

"Just Tarlach is fine."

"Tarlach, we heard from priest Meven down in Tir Chonail that you managed to reach Tir Na Nogg." Sol said. "However, upon reaching it you were attacked by something and all three of you were separated. Who or what attacked you?" Sol asked.

Tarlach's eyes looked distant. "To be honest, I don't really know who attacked us, I can't even recall some of the events that transpired that day. All I can remember is that he was clad entirely in black armor and was incredibly powerful. Me and Ruairi did our best to defend Mari but in the end it wasn't enough. Now both Ruairi and Mari are dead, And I'm stuck here in this pitiful state, barely surviving off mana herbs that grow in the deepest parts of the woods." Tarlach said, spite in his voice.

"I see… Are you sure there isn't anything else you can tell us? Anything at all." Sol asked again.

"Well… if you're that serious about it, I recommend going to Dunbarton and getting a book titled: "The Land of Eternity, Tir Na Nogg." That should have more information than what I can give you." Tarlach said.

"I see, thank you." Sol said.

"No problem. Just try not to get too into this. It could be bad for you health." Tarlach said.

Everyone soon got up. "I suppose it's time we went on our way." Diana said. "Thank you for everything." She bowed.

"It was nothing, really. Now you should head back to town, as you can no doubt imagine, it gets pretty chilly up here during night time." Tarlach said. They all said their goodbyes and Tarlach watched them as they disappeared down the mountain path.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Soma's group**

Soma stepped in to the abandoned chapel, scanning the area for the person they were looking for. The chapel was in ruins, it was doubtful that anyone was living here. The pews were either smashed by debris or shoved out of place, most of the windows were broken, the east wall had a gaping hole in the middle, and about two thirds of the roof was gone. "Excuse me! Mr. Lyle? We're Paladin's from Emain Macha and we've responded to, what we believe, was a request from you." Soma called out. "Mr. Lyle!"

"Sir!" Kai said. "Look over there, in the corner." Kai pointed and Soma looked. In the furthest corner of the main room was a small table with a plate and silverware on it. In front of it, a man sat with a fork in his hand, unmoving. "Why is he just sitting there?" Kai wondered.

"Maybe he fell asleep?" Sera said.

Soma walked over to the table and shook the body. "Mr. Lyle we…" Soma's voice trailed off when the man's head fell backwards, a knife jammed into the forehead. "Oh crap…!" Soma turned around and darted towards the door. "Get out quickly! It's a tra…" Before Soma could get withing 3 steps of his subordinates, several black cloaked figures dropped in from the destroyed roof, surrounding them.

"…a trap." Kai said as he readied his bow and activated his vizer. Sera readied her spear as all 3 of them moved back to back.

"I hope Shaosu isn't having this kind of trouble." Soma muttered.

**With Shaosu**

"What the hell?" Shaosu had just barely managed to dodge the knife, receiving a small cut on his cheek. "What's with you gramps? I paid the rent!" The man didn't seem to hear him, he was moaning incoherently and his eyes were white as snow. "If that's how it is then…" Shaosu pulled out his claymore only to have it get stuck in a wall. "What the hell?" Shaosu turned to see the old man rushing towards him. Shaosu sidestepped, grabbed the manager by the shoulders, kneed him in the gut and tossed him out the room, knocking him out in the process. "c'mon, we have to get the hell out of here!" Shaosu grabbed Nao by the arm and led here out of the Inn.

As soon as they got out, other people came stumbling out of the alleyways and buildings. "I can see where this is going." Shaosu pulled out his claymore and readied for battle.

"Wait!" Nao said.

"What?"

"These people aren't doing this because they want to. Look at them." Nao ordered. Shaosu did and saw that each one of them looked half asleep or dead in the eyes. "There has to be something controlling them."

"Like what… wait. Do you hear music?" Shaosu and Nao listened. They heard piano music playing.

"Is that what's causing this?" Nao wondered.

"How is Piano music controlling people?"

"I can sense an enchantment to it, a strange feeling." Nao said.

"Then why aren't we affected?"

"Maybe it's because of me. My status as a guardian spirit must offer some kind of ward against these things."

"Shouldn't you know this kind of stuff before hand?" Shaosu said as the people drew closer to them.

"I haven't been to this world in a long time, plus I've never had a lot of combat experience." Nao said, defensively.

"Nevermind then. What do you thing we should do about these?" Shaosu gestured to the zombie like pedestrians.

"Knock them out?" Nao suggested.

"Of course…" Shaous sheathed his claymore and readied a hand to hand stance instead while Nao materialized a staff. "This is what I get for neglecting to practice hand to hand basics." Shaosu muttered as the horde descended on them. Shaosu rushed forward and punched the man upfront who rushed in too fast.

**With Soma**

One of the dark hooded men fell to the ground as Soma punched him in the face. "Not so tough… maybe we don't need our weapons after all." Soma said, sheathing his Sword and used basic hand to hand techniques to disarm or knock out his opponents. He looked over and saw Kai and Sera taking similar precautions. Sera was still using her spear, but only to sweep here opponents off their feet or to whack them in the head, never actually using the point. Kai, although still using his arrows, aimed mostly for the legs or arms.

"What the hell is going on? Are these villagers or the black knights that are supposed to be around here?" Kai yelled.

"Quit talking and fight! We'll figure that out later!" Sera said as she jammed the butt of her spear into the chest of an attacker. Before long, the floor of the chapel was littered with people in black cloaks groaning on the ground.

"Seriously! What the hell?!" Kai said, kicking a guy in the ribs in frustration.

"Quit your whining. I'm beginning to get tired of telling every mission we get." Soma said as he and Sera headed towards the exit. "If you're just going to complain then you shouldn't have… My God…" Soma trailed off when he looked at the town from the hill. A huge crowd was gathered in the center, forming a huge circle, and in the circle were two figures, taking down anyone that tried to make a move on them.

"Is that… Is that Shaosu and Nao?" Kai said, using his visor to zoom in. "huh… I guess he did pay attention during those sparring matches."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get down there!" Sera said.

**With Shaosu**

Another villager attempted to rush Shaosu, an axe raised into the air. Shaosu grabbed the man's wrist, twisted it to make him fall to his knees and kicked him in the back of the head. "How many people are in this village?!" Shaosu said, ducking when another man came flying towards him. "Hey! Watch where your throwing these guys."

"Sorry! It's pretty hard to pay attention when…" Nao stopped to block another attack with her staff and twirled it around to slam it across his jaw. "…When a whol crowd is out to get you." She finished.

The two of them were interrupted by a sudden burst of dark energy ripping through the crowd and almost hitting them. Shaosu jumped back to avoid it. "Oh great… what now!?" Shaosu looked to see 2 figures in the distance. One wearing skeletal designed black armor, and the other in a black muffler robe with a sword and shield. "Are those… black knights?" Shaosu said.

"Damn it! Can't Adrian tell allies from enemies!? Why did he sick his puppets on us!?" Vulcan yelled as he sliced his way through the crowd. "I'm betting this is about me destroying his piano 2 years back."

"How is Lord von Kaumpherr controlling all these people?" Triad asked as he blocked an axe with his shield. He impaled the villager on his sword without hesitation. "It seems almost impossible."

"It's his music. His Piano has special runes engraved on the keys. All he has to do is play the right melody and the people obey the commands he sends. He can also use magical spells by playing the right tune, but he has to stay in one spot while doing so. That's why we tend to not use him very often." Vulcan said. "But it's not just piano's for him, those are just the ones that he prefers. There are several other instruments he can use." Vulcan finished.

"I see…" Triad looked ahead and saw a young boy charging at him and Vulcan, the boy's claymore was engulfed in flames. "Sir! Isn't that our target?" Triad said before being knocked back by Shaosu's kick.

"Whoa! Hold on a sec!" Vulcan blocked Shaosu's swing as Triad went flying. A burning sensation hit him as he was sent spiraling into a small house on the side. He burst out of the pile of debris and used his sword as support to get up. He shrugged off the wood that was stuck on his armor and stepped out. "I barely even did anything yet…" He muttered before blocking another attack from Shaosu. "Not messing around are you?"

"Are you the one who's causing all this?" Shaosu asked. "Are you the one making the people this way?!"

"Do I look like I'm playing a piano, kid? I just came here to back him up! Next thing I know, he sick's his little puppets on me!" Vulcan replied, shoving Shaosu back and moving in for an uppercut swing.

Shaosu blocked it. "So then it's safe to assume that you know who is causing this?"

"Not like it matters!" Vulcan pressed forward, pushing Shaosu back wards. Eventually Vulcan swung hard and knocked Shaosu into the crowd.

Shaosu got up and saw that Nao was also having trouble. She was fighting three people at once. "Damn it… Get up… come on!" Shaosu attempted to get up only to get stomped down by Vulcan's boot.

"You don't stand a chance kid. You're about a decade to early." Vulcan placed his blade near Shaosu's throat. "Triad! Whatever you do, don't kill her! It's still too early." As Vulcan was talking to his subordinate, Shaosu attempted to reach for one of his short swords, only to have his hand crushed underneath Vulcan's other boot. "Little sneak…" Vulcan muttered. A flash of light caught Vulcan's attention. He stepped back to avoid a fire ball, and looked. Triad was on the ground, bruises all over his face, and Nao, Soma, and Sera were standing over him.

"Took you long enough! Hold on… Where's Kai?" Shaosu asked.

"He went to find the source of the problem." Soma said. "So for now…you'll just have to settle for the 2 of us." Soma and Sera readied their weapons.

"Soma Hecate… This should be interesting." Vulcan readied his blade. "Triad! If you can hear me, see if Adrian needs any assistance." Triad got up and rubbed his cheeks, he nodded and darted off, his other 2 copies following him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sera yelled.

"Got ya!" Vulcan charged at Sera who had her back turned. Soma blocked him and kicked him back.

"You turned your back to the enemy, that's a rooky mistake Sera." Soma said grinning.

"My apologies sir." She replied. "It won't happen again."

"Shaosu! You and Naomi go and back up Kai! Me and Sera will handle this guy." Soma ordered.

"Yes Sir!" Shaosu and Nao darted off.

**Unknown**

"It appears we'll be having company soon." Adrian said, his fingers continuing to dance across the piano keys. "Will you be able to handle it? My little doll." Adrian looked over to a figure in a black cloak, standing in the corner.

**With Kai**

Kai stopped in front of a rather large theater building, the piano music growing louder. "I've made it this far, might as well keep going." Kai stepped into the building, passing through the lobby and entering a large auditorium. The room was dark, the seats lined up in a perfect row. In the far back was a raised stage area, a spotlight centered on the guy in the middle playing the piano. "It's ends here." Kai pulled out his bow and arrows and took aim. "See ya." He let the arrow fly, suddenly the melody changed and the arrow broke against an invisible barrier. "What the…" Kai immediately stepped back to avoid a large broad axe from smashing his head in.

"Not bad…" Adrian said. "…but not very good either." Adrian changed the song he played again and soon, icicles began to chase Kai around the theater room, destroying several rows of chairs in the process. The hooded figure wielding the axe was also chasing after him, moving in beet to the music being played. The melody changed again, this time Kai was followed by lightning bolts.

"This is insane!" Kai back flipped to avoid another attack and fired three arrows at Adrian. The beet changed to the one he heard when he attacked the first time, a barrier appeared and blocked the arrows. Adrian changed the melody again and sent fire balls chasing after Kai. _"Hold on a second."_ Kai thought as he ducked to avoid the axe wielder. _"So far, he's only used one attack at a time, never mixing them." _Kai kicked the attacker away. She even fell back in sync with the music. _"If this guy can only use one kind of move per song then I might be able to use that."_ Kai leaped up to avoid another axe swing. _"The only problem is this guy! All I have to do is subdue the axe dude and I can win this!_" As Kai landed he readied 3 more arrows and aimed at the axe wielder but locked on to Adrian. Kai let the arrows fly, as the axe wielder dodged, he grinned. "Wasn't going for you…" His opponent stopped and looked at his master. The arrows had been going for Adrian. The axe wielder darted to get ahead of the arrows and, surprisingly, managed to get ahead and leaped in front of them. 2 arrows plunged into his robe while another one snagged on the hood and pulled it off. Kai's eyes widened as the hood fell. "M…Mai?" Kai recognized his sister immediately, the short silver hair, the pale skin, and the brown eyes which now had a dead look to them. "Mai!!"

**With Shaosu and Nao**

"I just realized… this is that guy I kicked last night!" Shaosu said as he and Nao chased the three Triads across town. One of them had a sword and shield, another had 2 short swords, and another had a claymore strapped to his back.

"Is that even worth bringing up at this point?" Nao asked.

"I think it is." Shaosu replied.

"Look out!" Nao and Shaosu dodged as the Triad with the claymore slashed in between them. He then turned on Shaosu and swung as hard as he could.

Shaosu blocked the blade and yelled. "Go! I've got this one!"

As Nao was about to protest, The Triad with the dual swords leaped in front of her and attacked.

Shaosu forced the Claymore Triad's (Triad B)blade into the roof they were standing on and kicked him in the face as he tried to pull it out.

Nao blocked the dual sword Triad's (Triad C) attack and knocked one of his swords away. She then slammed her staff in between his legs, making him collapse.

"C'mon, we've wasted enough time with these guys!" Shaosu and Nao continued their pursuit.

**With Soma**

Soma skidded back and leaped into the air as Vulcan charged in. When Vulcan's blade hit the ground Sera stepped on it and pushed it deeper into the ground. She then raised her spear and attempted to skewer him. Vulcan let go of his sword and grabbed the spear to slow it down. It barely pierced the armor but didn't make contact with the skin. Vulcan shoved the spear forward, hitting Sera in the gut. Soma leaped at Vulcan, tackling him to the ground and attempted to remove the helmet. Vulcan placed a hand on Soma's chest plate and sent a burst of energy shooting out, sending Soma flying backwards.

"This isn't working…" Soma said. "Sera! You go and head towards Kai and the others. I'll take care of him." Soma ordered.

"But I-"

"That's an order!"

Sera hesitated but soon complied, leaping from roof to roof.

"That wasn't very smart. Now what will you…" Vulcan saw a faint aura of light surround Soma. "Oh crap…" Vulcan immediately charged forward to attack but was blow back by a huge shockwave. When Vulcan got up, Soma was clad in the armor of a White knight. "This just got complicated…" Vulcan was then struck in the face by a punch from Soma who had quickly closed the distance. _"He's faster now… and stronger."_ Soma then grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. _"That's why he ordered her away. She must not be able to transform yet so she'd only hold him back."_

"_I'm stronger in White Knight form but I can't stay in it as long as I could in paladin form. I have to make this quick." _Soma picked Vulcan up again and threw him into a nearby bar, knocking some people over in the process. _"I wonder why they aren't attacking… Maybe Kai got to the source of the problem."_

**With Kai**

"You bastard!" Kai aimed his bow at Adrian's head. "What did you do to Mai!?"

"Mai? Was that the little girls name? Well now I feel stupid, I've been referring to her as subject 17 since she was assigned to me." Adrian saw that Kai was about to fire. "Go ahead. We both know it won't work." Kai immediately sidestepped to avoid an attack from behind from Mai.

"Mai? What are you doing?" Kai asked. Mai only gave him a blank stare.

"Who are you anyway? Her sibling? Boyfriend? I suppose it doesn't matter in the end." Mai took a few more swings, all of which were dodged by Kai.

"What did you do to her?!" Kai yelled.

"If you must know… One of our patrol groups encountered several paladin trainees and attacked. They brought your sisters lifeless body to their base for experimentation in necromancy."

"Necromancy?"

"Yes, a form of magic mostly associated with spirits and those who have passed on." Adrian clarified. "We managed to successfully revive her and remove all traces of free will. However, in order for the magic to remain in effect she had to be bound to someone. Since I need to remain immobile, as you can well imagine, to use my magic, I decided to use her as a bodygua…" Adrian was immediately knocked to the ground by Kai.

"You really shouldn't talk so much. You see I know how your magic works. You have to use that piano to give commands to your little slaves out there. You also can't use more than one magic type at once, so while you've been dealing with me this whole time, those puppets can't do a thing." Kai said, squeezing his grip on Adrian's throat.

"Excellent deduction. You've got most of it right. It's true that I can't control my puppets while using other types of magic, but that only counts for them. My personal marionette has no such weaknesses." Adrian grinned as Kai was knocked across the stage, over the piano and into the wall.

"Damn it…" The side of Kai's head was trickling blood, his bow was smashed to pieces. Kai then pulled out a knife, hidden on the back of his armor. "I knew I should have practiced with this more." Mai rushed towards her brother and brought her axe down on his head. Kai rolled out of the way and kicked her in the ribs, making her let go of her axe. "Sorry sis." Kai then rushed towards Adrian who simply got up and dusted his suit off. Kai was blocked by an axe blade crashing in front of him. "You always were persistent." Mai lifted her axe and took several swings in wide arks, Kai just barely dodging them. She then swung downward, hard, crushing the floor boards underneath. "See ya!" Kai rushed towards Adrian as Mai tried to pull her axe out but then stopped, staring blankly into space. Kai the knocked Adrian to the ground (again) and punched him across the jaw. "Release her now!"

"Oh of course, would you like some tea or perhaps some food? Do you honestly think I'll do what you tell me just because you pinned me down?" Adrian yelled.

Kai punched him again. "I mean it! If you don't then you sign your death warrant." Kai pressed the blade to his throat.

Adrian grinned. "Go ahead, do it. But if you do, then you'll kill your sister along with me." Adrian said. "The seal that binds her to me doesn't just bind her mind but her soul as well. I'm basically the only thing keeping her in this world. If you kill me, she dies as well and you lose any chance of returning her to normal. That is what you want right?" Adrian said.

"Ngh…" Kai's hand trembled. He glanced over at Mai, her vacant stare filling him with a mix of sadness and frustration. Kai gritted his teeth, he got up and stepped back. "Mai…" He muttered.

Adrian got up and adjusted his collar. "Now that that's done, It's time I got back to work." as Adrian went to sit down, Triad came crashing through the roof, Shaosu and Nao following through, crushing the Piano as they fell. Adrian and Kai simply stared, dumbstruck.

"Take that you son of a… Kai? What are you doing just standing there!" Shaosu yelled. He then moved to the side to avoid a stab from Triad's sword. "Whoa, hold on a sec." Shaosu sidestepped and grabbed Triad's arm, twisted it to make him let go of the sword, and kicked him away. "We've got to destroy whatever's causing this mess! Where is it!" Kai pointed downward towards the destroyed Piano. "Oh… Man I'm good!" Shaosu was immediately blown back by a sudden gust of wind.

Adrian held his palm out, a small wind storm encircling his arm. He pointed his arm towards Triad's unconscious form and pulled it towards him, plopping him down next to his feet. "Good thing that I can still use some kind of magic without the Piano." Mai leaped and landed next to Adrian. "Come now Mai, we're leaving. Oh and have fun cleaning up the mess outside kid." Adrian and Mai then disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

"Wait!" Shaosu slashed into the cloud, only to hit the floor boards. "Damn it! He got away."

"What did he mean by clean up the mess?" Nao asked.

"I don't know, but for now we should focus on getting back to the captain." Shaosu looked at Kai and saw that he was shaken, something that almost never happened. "Hey, Kai? What's wrong?" Shaosu went over and shook Kai's shoulder. Kai didn't respond. "Hey!" Shaosu shook him harder, this time he snapped out of it.

"Huh? Oh, Shaosu. What is it?" Kai asked.

"What do you mean? You look like you saw a ghost." Shaosu said.

"You don't know the half of it." Kai said. "I'll explain later, we should go help the Captain. Shaosu and Nao nodded, and followed Kai out the door.

**With Sera**

As Sera leaped down in front of the theater building Kai entered earlier, she heard shrieks coming in from all directions. "What the hell?" Sera saw several townspeople clutch their head and scream. "Did Kai and he others stop the source?" Sera then noticed that the skin on the people began to dissolve and turn to dust, showing the skeletons underneath. "What's going on?"

Kai, Shaosu, and Nao exited the building and saw what was happening. "Whoa what the heck?" Shaosu said as he saw the skeletons falling down.

Kai simply glared at the spectacle. _"Could it be that…_" Kai remembered what Adrian said about necromancy._ "Did the black knights kill all the townspeople and then used necromancy to control their bodies? Then the whole thing was just a trap!_" Kai clenched his fists.

**With Soma**

Soma and Vulcan clashed blades as the people began dissolving into dust. "What the hell is going on?" Soma muttered. He shoved Vulcan back and attempted to slash his chest. Vulcan lifted his knee and brought down his elbow, catching the blade in between them and stopping the attack prematurely. Vulcan then swatted the blade away, giving an opening in Soma's defense. As Vulcan brought his blade down, Soma blocked it with his right gauntlet. Soma then moved his right arm in to punch Vulcan, his gauntlet grinding across the blade edge. His fist made contact and sent Vulcan twirling back. Soma's armor then transformed back into it's regular shape, no longer in white knight form. "Eat that."

A black cloud appeared and Adrian, Mai, and an unconscious Triad soon followed. "Honestly, your recent performance hasn't been very encouraging." Adrian said to Vulcan as he got up and wiped the blood from his nose.

"Like you're one to talk." Vulcan said. "Just get out of here… The area has already been compromised." Adrian complied and once again, surrounded them in a black cloud, transporting them elsewhere.

Soma simply glared, too tired to stop them. "Captain!" Sera called.

"Sera?" Soma looked and saw Sera and everyone else running towards him. "Alright, new plan. We have to…" Soma fell over, flat on his face.

"Sir!" Sera sped up and knelt next to him. "Sir, please wake up." Sera said, resting his head on her lap.

"Ngh… We have to find a way to get home…" Soma said trying to get up.

"Not now… first you need to rest, we can think of something by tomorrow." Sera said, a worried expression on her face. Soma was about to protest but after seeing Sera's expression, remained silent.

Soma looked over at Kai. "What have you found?"

"I'll explain when we find some place to rest." Kai said.

"I found an Inn around town somewhere. We could use that." Shaosu said. They all agreed and headed off, Soma being supported by Sera.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol's group, Piaras Inn**

Diana sat up in her bed, she heard splashing sounds. She looked to her left, Lydia sleeping soundly, the moonlight shined through the windows. Diana got up and put on a sky blue shirt and tan colored pants. She looked out her window and saw Sol skipping rocks on the river. She went downstairs and outside to join him.

Sol swore as the last rock he threw stopped just short of reaching the other side of the river. He was still thinking about everything that happened to him, mostly about Vice's offer and what Nao said about the right choice. "I can't stop now… I can't let Cichol win. But… What happens if I do defeat him? I went nuts when I was in the presence of the dragon statue, that alone was enough to weaken the seal. If I come into contact with a fomor god, what will happen then?" Sol gritted his teeth, he slammed his hands against his head. "Damn it! Why me!?"

"Sol?" Diana called.

Sol looked over. "Diana? What are you doing out here?"

"Just getting some air? You?"

"Trying to clear my head. This situations getting heavy if you know what I mean." Sol said.

"Are you alright? You seem… out of it." Diana stood next to him. "Are you still worried about Vice?" Diana asked.

Sol tensed slightly as Diana hit the nail on the head. "N-no… No everything's fine." Sol forced a smile

Diana gave him an unconvinced expression. "You're lying…Something's still bugging you." Sol stayed silent. "Well… I won't force it. You've already told us so much anyway. I can wait till you're ready." Diana turned and walked back toward the Inn. "Just know that…" Diana and Sol faced each other. "…no matter what, I'll be there for you. Not just me, but everyone else too." Diana said.

"Why? We've only been traveling together for less than two months. Why'd you risk so much." Sol asked.

Diana remained silent, she looked down, her face turning a little red. "Because…. To me… you're all that's left." Diana said. "You, this group… It's all I have left now. I don't have anywhere else to go to." Diana said.

Sol was taken aback. "D… Diana… I…"

Diana turned around, to hide her blush. "Don't get the wrong idea!" Diana suddenly yelled, some red on her face. "It's not what you're thinking!" Diana yelled. She looked back. "I.. I'm going to go to bed, it's getting chilly out here." She darted off inside.

Sol was speechless, he sighed and gave a soft smile. Sol looked up at the moon. _"Luna… help me out with this will ya?"_ Sol grabbed a rock and tossed it. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked off into the Inn, not bothering to see that the rock had made it to the other side.

________________________________________________________________________

And so the tenth comes to a close. To be honest I kinda wished Sol and the others got a little more action but since I managed to develop Kai a little more… I guess it evens out. I'm also happy with this last scene since I've never been able to express Sol and Diana's relationship properly, although there were a few subtle hints.

See you next time!


	11. Chapter 11

I have a very bad feeling right now. I don't know why, I just feel like something bad is going to happen.

Oh well, on with chapter 11!

________________________________________________________________________

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 11: River**

"_It is with great honor that I, Commander Craig, bestow upon you, Soma Hecate, the rank of Captain." Craig raised a sword high into the air, the light from the cathedral's windows glistening over it. The large cathedral in Emain Macha was filled with several knights and captains, all clapping at the 18 year old boy in front of them. The boy that was referred to as "the youngest captain in the past 30 years." Kai and Sera sat in front, Kai grinning slightly and shrugging his shoulders, Sera looking at her new captain with a warm smile._

_Captain River sat in the back, clapping as well, but more half heartedly than the others. "The youngest captain in recent history? What a joke… If you ask me this is a publicity stunt." River commented. "Something to get the people riled up and not worry about what's really going on." _

"_Sir? What do you mean?" a random knight asked._

"_Don't tell me you can't feel it. That tension in the air, the looming sense of immanent destruction. Something big is going to happen private, and when it does, simple little things like this won't even matter." As Soma turned and bowed, River got up and left. "I've stayed for as long as I needed to. There's nothing left of importance here." River disappeared through the double doors._

________________________________________________________________________

**Uladh logging camp**

Diana stood on in front of Tara's grave, as well as the graves of everyone else who perished during the goblin raid, alone. The rest of her group was down in the logging camp getting ready to make the final trek towards Dunbarton while she decided to pay her respects. "It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry I didn't visit you the last time I past through here, I was in a bit of a rush." Diana laughed. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing just fine. Sol and the others have been really kind to me, so you don't have to worry." Diana stood there, staring at the headstone. "I can't really think of anything more to say at this point other than… I miss you… so much." Diana said, smiling sadly. Saying a prayer in her head, she turned around and walked down the hill towards the camp.

**With Sol and the others**

Sol sat in a fetal position facing the trunk of a large tree, a gloomy expression on his face. "What's up with him?" Tracy asked Toran.

"Beets me. He's been like that all morning." Toran replied. "Sol? What's wrong with you?" Toran said tapping Sol on the shoulder.

Sol grumbled. "I have a bad feeling about today… a _really_ bad feeling about today."

Toran sighed. "C'mon, it can't be that bad." Toran caught movement off the corner of his eye. "Diana! How was your visit?"

Diana gave him a soft smile. "Satisfying." She said, and looked at Sol. "What's up with him?"

"Says he has a bad feeling about today." Toran replied.

"He has a bad feeling about everything. We're just going to pick up a book, how bad could it possibly get?" Diana said.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton, town square**

"Hell of a town, this place. Hell of a town." River said as he and his relatively small squad wandered into town square. Sai and 5 other knights followed behind him. "I hope the sergeant gets back soon, I don't want to end up camping out here." River said.

As if on queue, a knight in white armor appeared and walked over to Sai and River. "Sirs! I have managed to get rooms at a nearby Inn. They had just enough rooms for us." the sergeant said.

"I guess it was good thing bringing that I brought such a small squad then." River smiled. "That is another thing that Soma didn't think about. Larger numbers doesn't always mean a better chance of victory. I mean, just think about it. Soma brought his entire brigade over and look what happened. 2 dozen knights ended up in medical care and the target escaped. And when you look at me, well. I've brought just the right amount to make this operation effective and efficient." River said gloating.

"Whatever you say sir." Sai said, emotionlessly.

**In front of the grocery store**

"Thank you for the food Ms. Glenis!" a young man wearing a black elegant gothic suit called back as he exited the shop, a small paper bag with several fresh baked pastries in his hand.

"Are you done Shopping Diran?" Tanya said leaning on the wall next to the doorway. She was wearing a garten glen checkered skirt . "I'm getting nervous with those Paladin's over there." She said, gesturing to River making a monologue. "And the fact that your disguise doesn't actually makes you _more_ noticeable in a crowd isn't helping."

"You really need to learn to (pulls out a bagel and takes a bight.) lighten up. Want some?" Diran held his bag up but Tanya declined. "More for me then." Diran said, taking another bight.

"Why are we even here?" Tanya asked.

"One of my informants told me that Sol and his group will be passing through here. I was hoping we could get a chance to get… 'reacquainted'" Diran said, grinning.

"Our orders are to observe them." Tanya said.

"To observe Sol, Tanya. There's nothing in our orders that says we can't mess around with his friends. And with these paladins here, things should get very entertaining." Diran finished the bagel he had and rolled up the bag. "Maybe I should've gotten a little more variety than just bagels."

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol's group**

"I'm sure everything will work out fine." Toran said.

"Don't say that!" Sol yelled. "It's practically a law that whenever you say that things always turn out horribly wrong." Sol said, getting in Toran's face.

"I think you're just overreacting." Diana commented.

"Overreacting!? We have been attacked by black knights, Paladins, my mind is being torn in two by a parasitic demon, and on top of it all, we have to save the world from an evil god who is, indirectly , responsible for just about every single unpleasant thing that has happened to us! So don't tell me I'm overreacting." Sol said.

"Just forget about it! We're losing daylight here!" Lydia said at the exit of the camp, Rudi standing next to her. Sol, Diana, and Toran complied and followed them out of the camp, Diana waved goodbye to Tracy and the other workers.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton chapel**

Kristell hummed a happy tune as she poured water on the flowers in the small garden behind the Dunbarton chapel. As she finished she stood up and took a deep breath, placing her hands over her forehead to keep the sun out of her eyes. "Now for the ones inside." She picked up the water bucket and walked back in. As she started on one of the vases, a knocking sound was heard. "Coming!" She placed the pail down and walked towards the door as the knocking hastened. "Coming!" She said again. She unlatched the lock on the door and peeked out. "Yes, what can I…!" Kristell's eyes saw Diran's grinning face and slammed the door shut. She attempted to lock the door only to be thrown back as the doors were kicked open by Tanya. She fell and skidded halfway across the chapel before looking up and saw Diran and Tanya standing over her, she noticed that Diran had a paper bag in his hand.

"Long time no see…" Diran knelt down to Kristell's level. "…partner." Diran grinned.

"What do you want?" Kristell said.

"Just stopping by before the chaos starts." Diran replied. "Thought I'd see how my old partner was doing. Speaking of which, this is my new partner, Tanya. Tanya, this is Kristell."

"I'm not your partner anymore!" Kristell yelled. "I left you, Vulcan, and everyone else behind! I've changed!" Kristell got up and stepped back a few steps.

"Don't feed me that crap." Diran said in a relaxed tone. He walked over to Kristell and swung his arm around her, she tensed at the contact. Diran put his mouth to her ear. "You and I both know that no one ever really changes." Diran stroked her shoulder only to have it brushed off. "Don't tell me you're still into four eyes!" Diran said, exasperated. "You nurse the dude back to health, against orders I might add, and he runs off the first chance he gets!"

"Why are you really here?" Kristell asked. "To kill me for running off? Or to convince me to join you again?"

Diran chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself. If your were that important to our organization, we would've busted down your door years ago." Diran said, and stepped forward, clasping Kristell's hand. "Of course even if you weren't important to everyone else, that doesn't necessarily mean you weren't important to me. What do you say? Wanna come back?" Diran asked.

Kristell slapped him and let go of his hand, tanya reached for her axes only to be stopped by Diran. "How's that for an answer? If that's all then get out." Kristell demanded.

Diran placed a palm on the red area on his face. "That's fine, can't blame a guy for trying though." Diran turned around. "Alright Tanya, we're done here." as the two of them left, Diran stopped at the doorway. "And you don't have to worry about me reporting your position to the others." Diran said.

"Why? For old times sake?" Kristell asked in a mocking tone.

"That and that Cichol probably already knows, but just doesn't care." Diran said matter of factly. "Oh and sorry about your lock." Diran dropped a small bag of gold coins on the floor. "This should take care of the expenses." Diran disappeared behind the door. Kristell hugged herself and looked at the altar and then at the skylight above it. The light shined through and gave the area around the altar a blessed atmosphere like it was supposed too. But right now, Kristell just felt a cold gripping fear in the bottom of her stomach.

As Diran and Tanya walked down the sidewalk, Tanya began to speak. "Is something troubling you, Diran?"

Diran grinned. "She's just as forceful as ever. I prefer the submissive type, myself, but… she just makes it interesting." Diran's grin grew even wider.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton Entrance**

"You know, I remember this trip taking a lot longer." Toran said.

"Don't dwell on it, just get a move on." Lydia said. She looked behind her and saw Sol's eyes darting madly from side to side. "Would you quit worrying! So much crap has happened to us and you choose now to start losing it!?" Lydia said.

"S-sorry… It's just that something has gotten me a little on edge for some reason." Sol said, his voice shaking.

"Hey, are you alright? You seriously don't look so good." Diana said, placing her hand on Sol's forehead. "You have a bit of a temperature…"

Sol pushed her hand away. "I'm fine…. Let's just get this over with." Sol said and walked ahead of the others.

As the group entered the town Sol noticed several figures on the rooftops. "Damn it… Why does everything have to be done the hard way?" Sol muttered, placing his hand on his katana.

"If I remember correctly, the bookstore should be near the north eastern corner of the city." Toran said. "You guys wait in the square or something, I'll get the book." Toran said and walked off.

"Alright… Thanks!" Lydia yelled. "Well, what do you guys want to do in the mean…" Lydia was cut off as an assailant in black armor leaped from one of the roofs and attempted to stab her as he descended. Lydia stepped back and, as she was about to kick him away, the black knight was sent flying by Rudi's mace. "Guys! We're…" Lydia saw another black knight get slammed into a lamp post as Sol and Diana were back to back, facing around half a dozen black knights. "Never mind." Lydia said as she and Rudi were also surrounded.

**With Toran**

Toran opened the door to the small bookstore in the northeaster area of town. "Excuse me! Aeira? It's me Toran!" Toran called. There were shelves on every wall with books of varying colors and sizes all around him, and even some display cases for the more expensive ones. "Aeira? Are you here?" Toran heard some muffled sounds in the back.

"Toran? Is that you? Long time no see!" Aeira said as she stepped out from the back room, a few books carried under her arm. "What brings you back here?"

"I came to find a book. It's called "The land of Eternity, Tir Na Nogg." Do you have it, or know of anyone who might have it?" Toran asked, leaning against the front counter.

"Hold on, let me check my inventory." Aeira pulled out a clipboard and scanned the shelves, first in the T section then the L section, not finding anything of value. "Sorry, we've got nothing." Aeira said.

"Are you sure? Is there anywhere else I can look?" Toran asked.

Aeira shook her head. "Not really, unless you're willing to make a trip to Emain Macha. But I should be getting another delivery of books by tomorrow. So if you want, you can wait until then." Aeira said.

"Alright, that's fine." Toran and Aeira heard a small explosion in the distance.

"What was that?" Aeira said, a worried tone in her voice.

"I'm sure everything's fine." Toran said.

**With Sol's group**

"This isn't fine!" Sol yelled as he block an attack from one of the black knights (I apologize for having used such an overused joke). Sol shoved back and sliced the knight across the chest and split his katana to block another attack from behind. Sol twirled around the attacker and sliced him in half. "This area is too narrow, we need more open ground!" Sol said as he sidestepped another attack.

"Agreed! To the town square!" Diana said as she set a knight on fire with her arrows, causing him to run screaming into town.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Soma's group**

"Necromancy, huh? I always thought that that was a dead practice." Craig said. He flipped through the packet that Soma's squad handed him. "We'll have some of our mages look into this, and as for you… What happened to you?" Craig asked.

Soma's armor had smudges, cracks, and pieces missing, and his cape was cut in half. Sera's armor was scratched and had dents every other inch. Kai's visor was cracked, his left gauntlet was missing along with most of the lower portion of his chest plate. Shaosu's entire upper half was gone, revealing the torn shirt underneath. Nao… didn't have a scratch on her.

"Let's just say that the trip back was a little more hectic than the battle in the village." Soma said.

"Really…" Craig said, arching an eyebrow. "Anyway, we also have to concern ourselves with Kai's sister." Craig said, focusing his gaze on the spiky haired lieutenant. "Is this going to affect your performance?" Craig asked.

Kai straightened up. "Sir! I assure you, It won't affect any missions negatively in the future." Kai said.

"I hope so." Craig said, eyeing Soma briefly. "Anyway, there are no new assignments as of yet, although River has the Soma situation covered. Why don't you take this time to unwind, relax a little." Craig said. "And get patched up as well." Craig said looking them over.

________________________________________________________________________

**Unknown location**

Vulcan wipe the sweat from his forehead as he continued to beat the punching bag into the wall. When the bag finally broke, Vulcan stopped. "That took me 3 minutes more than usual. I'm losing my edge." Vulcan said.

"Would you stop using the destruction of our equipment as a method of measuring your strength." A young man with brown skin, black eyes, and messy black hair came into the small training room. He was covered in black robes which were torn at the edges, a dark blue sash was wrapped across his torso, and 2 gargoyle swords were strapped to his back. Behind this man was another figure, draped in black robes and a muffler. She too, had brown skin, black eyes, and also had long silky black hair.

"Quari,(Pronounced with an ee at the end) and Sylvina." .Vulcan turned and looked at his colleague straight in the face. "De we have a problem here?"

"To put it simply, yes we do." Quari replied. "Just because you can destroy something quicker, that doesn't mean you can use it as an accurate measure for strength." Quari examined. "If anything, it shows how simple minded you are." Vulcna's eye twitched.

"What do you really want here Quari? I doubt it was just to criticize my training methods." Vulcan asked.

"I just wanted to hear what happened in Torim from your own mouth. I've read the report but I want an account from someone who was actually there." Quari replied. "I'd ask Adrian but he's refusing to see anyone."

"What's there to ask about Torim? Adrian slaughtered all the inhabitants except for one who managed to hide in the old chapel near the town, for a short while anyway, and turned them all into puppets." Vulcan summarized.

"We had specific orders to only kill a few of the townspeople so as not to draw too much attention to ourselves." Quari said.

"It was a backwater village in an almost inaccessible area. Adrian must have thought that stealth wasn't as necessary." Vulcan said.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the paladins now know about our research into necromancy!" Sylvina spoke up.

Vulcan glared at them both. "So what do you want to do about it? Why are you whining to me?" Vulcan said. "You were only recently promoted to your current position Quari so don't think that you and your sister can just start addressing me without respect." Vulcan stepped forward and loomed over the 2 siblings.

Quari glared at Vulcan and almost pulled out his blade, then stopped. "Come, Sylvina. We're done here." Quari and Sylvina left the training room.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton, Town square**

River and Sai watched the small explosions in the distance and watched as the fighting began to move closer to their current position. "Looks like our target has come to us. I wonder how he got into town without us knowing it?"

"_Maybe it's because you didn't bring any extra guards to watch the town gates._" Sai criticized in his head.

"Get ready everyone!" River said, unlatching his scythe from the clamps on his back. Said pulled out his short sword while the other six paladins pulled out their weapons of choice. "Today we put an end to Sol and reclaim the honor of the Paladins!" River announced. The townspeople in the immediate area rushed towards their houses or to the nearest building.

"Oh, crap… This is getting heavy." Eavan said as she left her post and rushed over to Nerys' shop. "Nerys!" Eavan knocked on the door.

Nerys opened the door. "What is it? Nerys asked.

"Did you hear the commotion outside?" Eavan asked

"How couldn't I? Whoever's causing that racket will tear down half the town." Nerys replied.

"I think It's Diana's friends." Eavan said.

"Diana's back in town? Why is she doing this then?" Nerys asked.

"I'm not sure but those knights out there are looking for her friend, Sol. What do you think we should do?" Eavan asked.

Nerys thought for a moment. "This is just like that time from before." Nerys' expression showed concern. _"If we step in to help Diana and her friends, then things could get complicated between the town and the paladins. But if we don't' then Diana could be…"_

"Nerys?" Eavan asked.

"We… We should help Diana. If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility." Nerys said.

Eavan had a worried expression on her face. "Are you sure?" Nerys nodded. Eavan smiled a little. "Alright, I'll go get Manus." Eavan rushed off down the street.

Nerys stepped out onto the corner of the street her shop was on and looked at the paladins in the square. "Diana, please be safe."

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol's group**

Sol and Diana darted between alleyways and roads, avoiding the attacks of several black knights in the process. Lydia and Rudi headed in the opposite direction in an attempt to lure some of the other knights away. The black knights chased them relentlessly through town, not caring what was in their way. The cobble stone streets had large cracks and destroyed sections and a few buildings had broken windows.

"These guys are just attacking randomly." Sol said as he slashed and unleashed a wave of black energy on 3 knights. "I don't even think their targeting us specifically anymore." Sol continued running.

"I can see the town square up ahead… oh crap!" Diana saw the group of paladins waiting for them. The one in the center had a long scythe with several carvings on the curved blade, probably for decoration. "We have another problem Sol." Diana looked behind her and saw Sol take down another pursuer.

"I got ya." Sol said as reconnected the two halves of his Katana. Sol saw river's wide grin. "do you see Lydia or Rudi?" Sol asked. Diana Shook her head. "Oh well. I guess we're on our own on this one." Sol and Diana charged ahead, Chaos erupting as The black knights and Paladins attacked each other, Sai targeted Diana, and River went for Sol.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Lydia and Rudi**

Lydia and Rudi stood, motionless in the streets, staring at the two figures in front of them. Diran and Tanya stared back, emotionlessly. Lydia looked behind her and saw that the road was cut off by the squad they were running from.

"Well, well, it's been a while hasn't it? Hope you've been doing alright." Diran said, grinning. "Why don't we pick up where we left off? You guys can go." Diran said and dismissed the other knights. A dark aura surrounded Diran and Tanya and they were now clad in their Black knight outfits. Tanya pulled out her axes while Diran's gauntlets and boots materialized in the appropriated spots. "Let's try to make this last, shall we?" Diran and Tanya charged at Lydia and Rudi.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol and Diana**

Sparks flew as Sol's Katana and River's scythe grinded against one another. River pressed forward, swinging his scythe in wide arcs and circles, pushing Sol back. Sol swore as he evaded every swing, searching for a way to close the distance. River grinned as he saw sol struggling against his attack. He spun and swung his scythe all around him, in every direction he could think of. Almost hitting a few of his own men in the process. That was the problem with scythes, never enough room.

"What's the matter? Can't keep up?" River taunted. Sol crouched down and leapt forward, attempting to slash river across the chest. River shuffled back and brought his scythe to bear, letting Sol's blade strike at the pole part of his weapon. River then maneuvered behind Sol and swung his scythe, only to slice air as Sol jumped up to dodge. As Sol back flipped, he attempted to slash River as he tumbled through the air, only scratching the armor. "Close one." River said as he used his scythe like a hook and flung Sol across the square and hitting a small bulletin board outside the bank.

Diana was having a similar problem, except instead of closing the distance she was trying to make it. Diana constantly leaped back, firing her arrows at Sai, most of which were either dodged effortlessly, or swatted out of the way by Sai's short sword. Diana fired Ice arrows and as Sai swatted one away, his hand and his sword were frozen together.

"Wah!" Sai stopped in his tracks at the sudden change. Diana grinned and launched more ice arrows at Sai's feet, freezing them to the ground. She fired another volley of arrows only to have them swatted out of the way by Sai. Diana circled around him, firing several arrows as she went, each one was swatted away.

"_He can't keep that up forever. He'll either get tired or I'll find a blind spot."_ As Diana positioned herself behind Sai and pulled the trigger, a click sound was all she got. "You've got to be kidding me!" Diana pulled the trigger several more times only to get the clicking sound again. _"I'm out!"_ She exclaimed in her head.

"Lucky!" Sai grinned and smashed the ice around his feet as Diana reloaded. Sai turned and dashed at Diana, knocking her crossbow away and elbowing her in the stomach. Diana tumbled backward and hit a lamp post. "Not so tough without your crossbow huh?" Sai taunted. Diana got up and rubbed the back of her head. She reached for something on the back of her waist and pulled out a short sword of her own, and brought it to bare.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Lydia and Rudi**

Lydia blocked Diran's punch with her forearm and moved in for an uppercut. Diran stepped back and cart wheeled away, attempting to kick Lydia in the process. As his leg flew up, Lyida shuffled back and grabbed it. She slammed Diran face first into to stone street.

"Why don't you transform? You managed me pretty well in that form." Lydia inquired.

"That's exactly why. Things ended too quickly with that form so I figured I'd take things down a notch. At least until you improved." Diran said.

Lydia rushed forward and attempted to smash Diran over his head. The white bricks spraying in every direction. "Don't look down on me!" Lydia spin kicked Diran, hitting him in the ribs as he leaped back.

Diran crashed into a wall, making a huge dent in the side. Diran grunted as he got up. "You see? If I was going all out, that wouldn't have happened." Diran claimed.

"Prove it then. I don't care what form you take, I'll beat you into the ground." Lydia dared.

Diran shrugged. "Fine…" A black aura surrounded Diran. When it dissipated, Diran was clad in the robes of a first level falcon. **"Try to keep up this time."** Talons formed on Diran's hands and he darted at Lydia with blinding speed. Lydia ducked as Diran attempted to swipe at her. She hit Diran's Jaw with an uppercut, launching him into the air. Diran back flipped and landed on his feet.** "Alright… Much better than before."** Diran said, wiping some blood off his lips.

"The only reason you got me that time is because I wasn't ready." Lydia proclaimed.

Diran chuckled. **"Whatever helps you sleep at night, lady."** Diran said, getting into another combat stance. **"Let's put a hold on the conversation for now."**

"Agreed." Lydia said, getting ready herself.

Tanya's axes slashed through the air as she spun, almost like a top, in an attempt to take Rudi's head off. Rudi blocked the advance with the ball of his mace, the drill spikes generating sparks as he did so. Rudi jumped back to avoid an overhead strike, the force of him landing created 2 shallow dents in the street. Tanya ran forward, swinging at Rudi with both her axes, destroying several sections of the street. Rudi grunted as he blocked Tanya's axes again, using the pole handle of his mace. Rudi swung forward, causing Tanya's arms to swing to the side, giving him an opening. Rudi jabbed his mace forward, drills spinning wildly. A satisfying grinding noise was heard as Rudi's mace made contact with Tanya's armor. Cracks formed as the drills dug into the… Steel?…(whatever a suit of armor conjured from darkness is made of) sending pieces flying. Tanya flew back bouncing on the ground once and fell on her face. Rudi smiled. "Got you." he said.

His smile disappeared when Tanya began to rise up. The shattered pieces flew back into place like a puzzle, all the cracks and lines instantly repairing themselves. "Nice shot." Tanya said. "This just might be interesting after all." Tanya grinned. "Don't disappoint me like last time." Tanya soon began to grow fur on her arms, legs, and upper torso. Her skin turned a dark blue as fangs began to show. Tanya roared as she charged at Rudi, knocking his mace out of his hands and attempted to tackle him to the ground. Rudi stood his ground as she rammed him with unrelenting force. Rudi's eyes widened when he felt himself being lifted, Tanya had him lifted high above her head and grinned. She threw him forward and he sailed through the air as though he were a piece of paper. He crashed to the ground and tumbled down a small flight of stairs. Rudi got up and glared at Tanya, blood trickling down the side of his head. Tanya stared down at him from the top of the stairs, she threw her axes to the side and got ready for a brawl. The two giants launched themselves at each other.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Toran**

Toran rushed down the street, following the onslaught of destruction caused by Sol and the others. "I leave them alone for a few minutes and this happens." Toran said, exhausted. "I just hope things didn't get _too _chaotic while I was gone." Toran emerged from an alley and saw a small war in the town square between the black knights, the paladins, and Sol and Diana. Toran ducked as one guy was flung into the alley way he emerged from. "Damn it…" Toran pulled out his staff and rushed in to help his friends.

"You're slipping!" River said as his scythe cut a hole in Sol's armor. Sol staggered back and ran his hand along the hole. Sol glared at river and charged forward, blade glistening in the sunlight. River blocked it and twirled his scythe around Sol's blade, slicing him across the chest. Sol's blood splattered across the ground. River sliced again, making the wound on Sol's chest an X. Sol's eyes widened as he fell back. River kicked him back, sending Sol tumbling across the square. "Check and mate." River said grinning.

Diana blocked Sai's strike, her arms trembling under the pressure. "I can tell you don't use this very often. That's a clever trick, using magic to make the arrows freeze people on contact. But you made a huge mistake when trying to take me on in a sword fight!" Sai's blade shot out and segmented, revealing chains holding sword pieces together. The blade shot out, chipping off a piece of Diana's short sword and slicing her in the shoulder. Diana fell to her knees, clasping her bleeding shoulder. "Give it up…" Sai said, the whip blade spread on the ground. "I'd rather get this mission over with so I don't have to deal with that guy over there." Sai motioned to River. Diana looked and saw that Sol wasn't fighting him.

She looked around and saw Sol lying face down in a pool of blood. "No…" Diana said.

Sai looked at her. "You say something?"

Diana shook her head. "No, no , no…"

"Hey!" Sai was immediately blasted to the side as Toran launched a lightning blast at him.

"Diana! Are you okay?" Toran ran over to her but Diana ran past him and towards Sol, yelling his name. Toran looked and saw sol lying there. "What the… Oh crap…" Troan felt an un easy feeling. "Diana! Stay back! It's happening again!" Toran yelled. Diana stopped in her tacks when an inky black aura surrounded Sol, healing his wounds and forming armor.

"Sol?"

Sol got up, armor forming around his body. There were spikes poking up from the base of the neck except for the front to provide clear vision. "It's alright… Diana." Sol said as the helmet formed around him. **"I'm in control this time around."** As sol got up, he had the appearance of a Dark Knight (second form).

In the deeper recesses of Sol's mind, Vice smirked. "See?" He said. "Knew you wouldn't be able to live without me."

"**Toran…"** Sol's voice boomed.

"Y-yes?" Toran said.

"**Get Diana out of here. This could get ugly"** Sol said. _**"I should be able to hold this form for a few hours. And I'm sure Vice knows that I don't want him interfering. This should go smoothly."**_ Sol thought and split his katana. He saw Toran grab Diana by her good arm and lead her away. Diana struggled to stay but Toran managed to convince her that this was best. As they were about to leave the area, Diana took one last look at Sol, he nodded over to her and turned around to face river. Diana grabbed her crossbow as she and Toran left, praying that Sol would be alright.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Nerys, Eavan, and Manus**

"That kid is a black knight as well?" Nerys said as she watched from a distance, gripping her old crossbow. Eavan had a large gargoyle sword, and Manus had a simple long sword.

"What should we do now?" Manus asked.

Nerys simply stared at Sol, and the sick feeling she was having. "I-I think we should… should go meet up with Diana." Nerys said.

"Nerys, are you alright? You seem a little nervous." Eavan asked, placing a reassuring hand on her friends shoulder.

"It's fine… Just a little worried. It's not everyday that Paladins and Dark knights duke it out in the town square." Nerys said. Eavan and Manus exchanged looks.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's find Diana and sort things out." Manus said. The three of them nodded and headed off to where they saw Diana and Toran running to.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol and River**

"So the fugitive finally shows his true colors." River said as he looked Sol over. 'Can't say I'm surprised though. Only a dark knight would think of opposing the Paladins."

"**For the record, I was attacked first. (sort of)"** Sol said.

"What I don't get is why were you being chased by your own troops." River said. "Oh! Are you a traitor on the run!?" River asked.

"**I don't have time for this…"** Sol moved and disappeared. He reappeared behind River. River turned but was punched in the jaw.

River twirled from the force of the punch. When he stopped, he clutched his jaw. "Nice one." River readied his scythe only to be elbowed in the gut by Sol, armor shards flying in the wind. "Gkahhh" River coughed up some blood and crashed into a lamp post, denting it."

"**Give up yet?"** Sol asked, pointing his katana at River. River swatted it away with his scythe and attacked. Sol moved in closer, blocking the scythe with his blade. He separated his katana into two and attempted to decapitate River.

River raised his arm, the armored gauntlet blocking the blow. "Where did all this come from?" River said, an anxious grin on his face. He moved his arm to the side, taking the left half of Sol's blade with it. Sol pulled the Katana out, cutting River's arm in the process. Combining his Katana into one, Sol leaped back. He brought his Katana to bear once more, a black aura surrounding it. Sol swung upwards, the energy wave rushing towards River. River raised his scythe to block it, only to see his scythe get shattered to pieces. The wave cut into him, destroying his chest plate and pushing him into the wall of a nearby building, and falling flat on his face. River struggled to get up, using a nearby wall to help support him. "Ngh… You bastard!…" River saw Sai standing behind Sol, a short sword raised into the air. Sol turned and grabbed Sai's head and threw him at River. Both of the knights crashed into the wall and fell down, unconscious.

"**Now what to do with the rest of you…"** Sol turned and faced the remaining dark knights, the paladins having lost the battle. Sol braced himself for the onslaught.

________________________________________________________________________

**With Lydia and Rudi**

Lydia stomped her foot down only to hit white bricks as Diran rolled out of the way. Diran got to his feet and slammed his leg into Lydia's ribs. Lydia blocked it and grabbed Diran's leg. Diran leaped up and used his free leg to kick Lydia in the side of the head, causing her to let go and land with a thud a few feet away. **"Your doing much better than last time. I guess that wasn't all talk before."** Diran said as she saw Lydia struggle to get up. He slammed his foot down, pressing her down into the ground. **"But sadly, it just isn't enough."** Diran said, driving his boot into Lydia's back. **"I wonder how Tanya is doing?"**

Tanya growled as she and Rudi wrestled each other. Rudi had bruises and cuts all over him. Tanya had no visible wounds (mostly because of the fur) but blood dripped from some of the hair fibers. Rudi eventually let go of his grip on Tanya, reared back, and rammed Tanya down into the ground. Tanya kicked him off and got to her feet, grabbing Rudi and slamming him against a wall. Tanya then slammed Rudi's face into the white brick road, knocking him out. **"2-nothing… Nice try though."** Tanya said, breathing heavily. She walked back up the stairs and picked up one of her axes. She went over to Rudi and raised her axe into the air. As she brought it down, she heard an explosion in the distance. She looked back and saw a column of smoke rising. **"Diran…"** Tanya ran off, grabbing her other axe as she did so.

Diran stared at the burning spot that would've been him if he were still standing there. He looked up and saw Toran and Diana on a rooftop. **"Come to interrupt things again have you?"** Diran asked. Diana merely took aim at his head. Diran shrugged. **"Then go ahead. Attack." **

"You and I both know that neither of our groups is in the shape to fight. You might act tough, but your exhausted now aren't you? I'll bet you can't hold that form for much longer." As Toran finished, Diran transformed back from a Falcon to a regular elf. "Just leave, and we'll settle this later." Toran said.

Tanya emerged from further down the alley, already in her normal form. "Diran!" Tanya looked and saw Diana and Toran.

"We're leaving Tanya." Diran said.

"But… I see. Very well then."

Diran knelt down next to Lydia. "You might want to train a little bit more before we meet again. Just throwing it out there." Diran and Tanya stood next to each other. They were surrounded by a black cloud and were gone.

Toran and Diana rushed over to Lydia's side, turning her over. "Lydia? Are you alright?" Diana asked.

Lydia coughed. "Yeah… where's Rudi?" She asked.

Diana told Toran to look for him. Toran ran in the direction Tanya came from. When Toran got there, he saw Rudi lying face down in the pavement. The entire street was badly damaged and several white bricks were scattered, exposing the dirt underneath. Toran heard voices calling him.

"Toran! Toran!" Nerys called, Eavan and Manus followed behind her.

"Ms. Nerys? What are you doing here?" Toran asked.

"We came to help but… I guess we came in too late." Eavan said.

"Yeah… But if you really want to, could you help me carry Rudi?" Toran asked.

**With Sol**

Sol dusted off his hands as the last of the black knights fell, he had also tied up River and Sai upside down from a lamp post. The armor soon began to dissolve, revealing the shredded leather pads and shirt underneath. When finally finished. Sol took a deep breath and looked around, several of the townspeople gave him a suspicious look, most of them from a window. Sol sighed. "I guess I'll look for Diana and the others." Sol said, walking off.

**With Diana, Toran, and the others**

Rudi and Lydia were laid next to each other, Manus and Toran were using healing spells on both of them. "So that's the situation?" Nerys said.

Diana nodded after explaining everything she could to Nerys. "I know it might seem hard to believe considering what you saw but… I swear it's true." Diana said.

"Heck, with everything going on right now, I'll believe anything." Nerys said. "So you're serious about this? You're going to stick around with this guy to the bitter end?"

Diana nodded. "Yes, I will."

"Did I miss something?" Sol said as he approached the group, looking at Lydia and Rudi. "I guess we shouldn't have split up after all." Sol said.

"We should take them to my place when the wounds are mostly healed. Even magic can't do everything." Nerys said. The others nodded in agreement.

**Later that day, Nerys's house**

"Lydia and Rudi are resting, I had to use two beds for Rudi. Hope you don't mind." Toran said. He took a seat next to Diana and Sol on a couch. Across from them were Eavan, Nerys, and Manus. Between them was a small rectangular coffee table. "So what are we going to do about the Paladins?"

"The authorities probably took them down and are helping them recuperate." Nerys said.

"We should probably leave pretty soon then… Tomorrow at the latest. If they find out that you help us…" Sol said.

"Are you sure? I don't think anyone saw you come by here. They were all to afraid to even look out the window." Nerys said.

Sol nodded. "I'm sure. The first thing those guys will do is start questioning people, and on top of that I don't think the townspeople are going to be as welcoming in the future seeing as how some have seen my true nature." Sol said, remembering the cold looks from the people through the windows.

"What did you come here for anyway?" Eavan asked.

"We came to get a book, 'The land of Eternity, Tir Na Nogg. Speaking of which, did you get the book, Toran?" Sol asked.

"Uh… well…" Toran stuttered.

"Come on, tell us!" Sol said.

"Okay… They didn't have the book." Toran said.

"What?" Diana asked.

"They didn't have the book, they ran out yesterday." Toran said.

"Are you telling me that everything we've been through today was for nothing!?" Sol said, his voice raising. He and Diana began closing in on him, the intent to kill thick in the air.

"H-hey, wait a minute! I'm just the middle man here!" Toran said

"I have the book." Manus said.

Everyone looked at him. "You do?" Sol asked.

"Yeah… I was the guy who bought it yesterday. I was planning on reading it later but it sounds like you guys need it a lot more than I do." Manus said.

"THANK YOU!" Sol, Toran and Diana cheered.

"Well… now that that's settled. Why don't you guys have something to eat? I'll bet you're exhausted." Nerys said.

________________________________________________________________________

**Paladin HQ, Evening**

Craig was over viewing several files when a knocking was heard near his window, an owl was pecking on it with a letter in it's beak. Craig opened the window and took the letter. He unraveled it, looking it over. "Mission failed?" Craig read out loud. "That's just perfect. Perhaps I should've assigned Mason or Gillian for this one." Craig sighed as he placed the paper on his desk. "When Soma finds out he'll be all over this." Craig said, hoping that if, no, when Soma got involved, that it wouldn't be as bad as before.

**Paladin Training ground**

A white flash illuminated the center arena in the training ground. Sera, Nao, and Kai watched Soma and Shaosu train. Shaosu collapsed on his knees, breathing heavily, using his sword to support himself. Soma didn't even look tired.

"Four hours and… thirty seven minutes! You're getting better kid. Maybe we should continue this in the morning." Kai suggested, closing his pocket watch.

Shaosu managed to stand up. "No… Not yet. I have to be able to hold Paladin form for at least six hours." Shaosu said, panting.

"You've been at this all day, you should really take a break." Soma said.

"That's easy for you to say…(heavy breathing)… You mastered the level of Holy knight in only a few months. It usually takes a couple of years before someone reaches that level." Shaosu said.

"Regardless, if you continue this way you'll just end up collapsing. I doubt you can transform again." Soma said.

"Oh yeah?… Well you just…watch…" Shaosu attempted to lift his sword only to collapse, unconscious." Nao rushed to his side, laying his head in her lap.

"Get him home. When he's ready, we'll pick things up where we left off." Soma said. Nao nodded.

"No… no, I can still…." Shaosu tried to protest.

"Oh quit it. You're in no shape to keep going." Nao said as she picked him up and tried to carry him home.

"I'll help you out." Kai said, accompanying Nao down the road.

Soma and Sera watched them go, sera smiling slightly. "Sir?" Sera asked.

"What is it?" Soma said.

"You seem a little bit different." Sera said.

"What do you mean? I don't feel any different." Soma said.

"You just seem a little…happier lately." Sera said, giving him a warm smile.

Soma simply grunted. "When I get Sol, _then _you'll see happy." Soma said, turning around to walk towards the barracks.

Sera walked beside him. "That's another thing. What are you going to do about Sol? I doubt you'll be able to search unofficially if the black knight activities are going to increase." Sera said.

"I'll do what I can from here. But if things start to go too slow… then maybe it's time I considered a different line of employment." Soma said.

Sera looked at him with concern. "You want revenge that much?" Sera asked.

"From the very start… Joining the academy, my swift ascension in rank… Even taking Shaosu in as my apprentice. It was all part of my greater goal for revenge." Soma continued to walk. Sera stopped in her tracks, Soma didn't seem to notice.

"Captain…If you leave, then I…" Sera looked up at the clear white moon, a gust of wind interrupting her thoughts. She stared at the white orb in the sky, it's light outclassing all the other stars in the sky.

"Sera? What's the matter?" Soma called, facing her from about ten feet away.

Sera looked at him, her worried look obscured by the shadow the moon's light cast on her face. "Nothing's wrong sir…" She looked at him with a forced smile. "Nothing at all." She darted forward to catch up with him.

________________________________________________________________________

And I have, once again, took a simple retrieval mission and turned it into chaos! I have a feeling that this will happen a lot.

Sorry it took so long for me to update, I've been feeling a little lazy with school coming up and everything. However, I will try to at least get to chapter 12 before school.

Anyway… see ya next time…


	12. Chapter 12

_**And now we are on to chapter 12! As you can probably imagine, after this I most likely won't be able to update as fast as I usually do.**_

_**Here we go!**_

_**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**_

_**Chapter 12: Coincidence**_

"_Are you sure you want to go through with this?" an elderly elf said. The points on his ears were to the side; his dark skin had few wrinkled considering the fact that this man was over 60 years old. Lydia and Rudi stood in front of him. Surrounding them was a large wall; behind them was a large building, similarly designed to a Japanese Pagoda. Further behind it were other smaller buildings, each one housing a family or two if it was big enough._

"_Yes I'm sure, grandfather." Lydia said, slinging her pack over her shoulder._

"_It's a dangerous world out there; they might not be so willing to welcome elves or giants just yet." The old man said._

"_It'll be fine. I'll have Rudi to back me up after all." Lydia assured. Rudi grunted in agreement. "When our family and Rudi's family left our homeland, we wanted to escape the fighting between elves and giants, correct?" Lydia asked. Her grandfather nodded. "And the reason we settled in the same spot together was to prove that we were above the petty differences and hate that plague so many of our people to this day. If we managed to settle our own differences between ourselves here, then I'm sure that we can overcome anything we encounter out there." Lydia declared._

_Her grandfather smiled. "If that's how you truly feel, then I won't stop you. However, both our families will have to remain in this enclosed community for a little while longer. Many of us are still unsure about what the natives of this continent will think of us. Perhaps in a few years we will join you, but for now…" Lydia's grandfather stepped forward. "…Will you be the first to make contact with those who dwell outside these walls?"_

_Lydia smiled. "I will." _

_Lydia's grandfather took her hand and placed something in it. "Take this, if you ever need to return here just take this in your hand and wish it to be done." _

_Lydia opened her hand and saw a wax red wing. "Thank you grandfather, I'll never forget you or anyone else here." Lydia said._

"_And one last thing." Lydia's grandfather looked more serious this time. "Always remember to never reveal the existence of our homeland to anyone outside these walls. The situation in Iria is too fragile and chaotic to allow any newcomers at this time." Lydia and Rudi nodded. Her grandfather smiled. "Now then, you'd better get started. It's a big world out there and you won't be seeing any of it if you're standing around listening to an old coot like me." _

_Lydia hugged her grandfather as the gates swung open. "I love you grandfather." As she got up and turned to leave, she took one last look at him and waved goodbye as the gates swung closed._

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras Inn** (This is starting to become a regular hang out for these guys)

Sol, Diana, Lydia, and Rudi sat in Piaras' Inn. Toran had volunteered to talk to Tarlach about Tir Na Nogg and the information about the book. Sol and Diana sat at the front table while Lydia and Rudi sat at a different table, discussing something private.

"So what you're saying is that Tir Na Nogg is some sort of paradise where there is no sickness, no war, and everything is paradise?" Nora said.

"Yup, and the book also said that the existence of such a place is pure fantasy and that we shouldn't pin our hopes on finding something so perfect." Sol said, taking a bight out of a sandwich that Nora had prepared for him earlier.

"Basically, the book told us everything we already knew so that trouble in Dunbarton was a complete waste of time." Diana said in a put off tone. "Now we're probably gonna see real trouble from the paladins. Actually, we probably shouldn't even be here. If they find out you're connected to us things could really get worse for, not just this inn, but for the whole village as well."

"It's fine." Piaras said, cleaning a glass cup. "I don't think anyone here would rat you guys out. Besides, I don't think the Paladins would start bashing down doors looking for you."

Sol chuckled nervously. "You'd be surprised what some of them are willing to do."

"Hey, are those two alright? They've been over there for a while now." Nora asked, gesturing to Lydia and Rudi.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe it's because they lost twice to those black knights." Diana speculated.

"I didn't think that it would affect them this much." Sol added.

Toran then opened the window, shivering uncontrollably; melting snow covering his robe, his scarf was a tangled mess. "H-hey guys… T-t-tarlach gave me something." Toran went over to one of the tables and set something down on it. Sol, Diana, Lydia, Rudi, and Nora went over to see what it was. "It's a b-brown fomor pass for B-barri dungeon."

"Are you alright? I could fix you something warm to drink." Nora offered.

"Th-that would be nice, thank you." Toran said taking a seat, wrapping his clothes tightly around him. "It's _really _cold in the mountains. Even this sunny day isn't doing the trick." Nora had walked off into the kitchen in the back to make some hot cocoa.

"You said this was for Barri dungeon? As in Bangor?" Sol asked. Toran nodded. "Aw crap… We have to walk that whole way! That's going to take us at least a few days!" Sol complained.

"Hey guys…" Lydia said a solemn tone in her voice.

"What is it?" Diana asked. Toran looked at Lydia as well, forgetting the fact that he was still freezing. Sol simply continued grumbling about having to walk all the way to Bangor.

"Me and Rudi have been thinking and we've come to a decision." Lydia said. "I think it's time that we split up from this group."

________________________________________________________________________

**Paladin HQ**

"Barri Dungeon?" Soma repeated the words on the file that he held.

"Yes… We received a report of suspicious individuals entering and leaving the area around Barri dungeon." Craig said. "You are to go to Bangor and investigate this matter as soon as you are ready." Craig ordered. Soma sat opposite Craig in a small wooden chair, the seat and armrest were padded with extremely soft pillows.

"Don't you think that this is a little bit too vague for us to start investigating?" Soma asked.

"We have almost nothing to go on when it comes to the dark knights." Craig said. "They have several agents operating in some of the most unusual places and can appear almost anywhere. We'll explore any lead we possibly can." Craig clarified.

"I see." Soma said. "Don't we need some kind of special pass in order to actually enter a dungeon?"

"Taken care of." Craig pulled out a small rectangular block, several markings and symbols dotted it's surface. "This pass should get you in with no problems." Craig handed the pass to Soma. "As you said before, the details on this appear to be extremely vague so there isn't any kind of rush so you can take the time you need to prepare. But we do hope that you'll take care of this problem as soon as possible." Craig said.

"Son in other words, you don't care when I do it, but do it before anything else." Soma said, Craig nodded. "Fine." Soma stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for an appointment." Soma walked out of the room in a calm fashion.

"Who sent us this info anyway?" Soma asked from the doorway.

"The sender wanted to remain anonymous. Understandable considering the kind of info he's giving us." Craig replied.

As Soma exited the building, he headed towards the training grounds. Eventually he saw a flash of light a few yards away and knew what was going on. "I see you're persistent as ever." Soma said as he saw Shaosu practicing with Kai and Sera, Nao was watching from the side lines. Shaosu, Sera, and Kai all snapped sharp salutes. Soma responded in kind. "How's the training coming along?"

"He's been doing well. His time in paladin form has increased to five hours and forty eight minutes." Kai said, sweat on his forehead.

"Just need to keep going a little bit more…" Shaosu added.

"Well get to it then. I just received another mission from Craig. It's not that urgent from what he told me but I'd like to get this out of the way as soon as possible." Soma said.

"Is it the dark knights again?" Sera asked.

"We're not entirely sure yet. There have been sightings of suspicious individuals in Bangor and we're being sent to investigate. But like I said, it isn't urgent." Soma replied.

"We should be able to finish by this afternoon." Shaosu said. "Should we head out then?"

"That's fine. Until then, carry on." Soma said, intending to supervise the training from here on.

**With River, medical area, paladin HQ**

"That damn brat!" River slammed his fist into the wall. He sat up on his bed, bandages on his head, chest, and his arm was in a sling. "Because of him my reputation's gone down the toilet, and I got sent back here in disgrace!" River gritted his teeth. After his battle with Sol, he had to recuperate in the Dunbarton Town guard building. Within a few days, a team was dispatched to escort him, Sai, and any other survivors to Emain Macha. Sol had already left the town when it happened and any attempts to question the townspeople were fruitless and yielded no useful information. "Those lower class scum are probably hiding him. I'll get my revenge, just you wait…" River said, ranting on and on.

Sai sat in a bed next to him, a curtain separating them. "(Sigh) Give it a rest will you?" Sai muttered. He soon heard footsteps and looked to see who it was. "Kai? What are you doing here? The nurse said you were in the training grounds."

"I decided to take a little break. How are you doing?" Kai asked, pulling a stool towards him and sitting down.

"Alright, I guess. So what did you come in here for?" Sai asked.

"Well…" Kai hesitated. He wondered if he should tell Sai about Mai while he was still healing. He was going on another long mission and by the time he would get back, Sai would've already healed and sent off somewhere else. "You see… I have some news about Mai." Sai's relaxed posture tensed as he prepared for what Kai would say to him.

________________________________________________________________________

**Piaras Inn**

"What do you mean split up?" Sol asked, standing up.

"It's not like it will be permanent, but it could be a while before we meet up with you guys." Lydia said. "When that guy, I think his friend called him Diran, said for me to get stronger… Well, I agree with him. The way I am now, I can't beat him." Lydia said. Rudi nodded, saying he had similar feelings about himself.

"What will you do?" Diana asked.

"Fight fire with fire." Lydia said. "Those two used special techniques only found among Giants and Elves. That technique is known as Falcon, and Savage Beast transformations. They're similar to your Paladin and Dark knights. The only way I'll be able to beat them is if I also learn the power they have." Lydia continued. "And the only way we'll be able to do that is if we learn from our families. Basically, when we reach the appropriate spot, we're splitting up." Lydia said.

"Where is your family's compound?" Toran asked.

"Secret." Rudi said.

"They don't really want any contact with the outside world at this moment." Lydia said. "So we have sworn an oath to keep the location of them, and our home land a secret for the time being." Lydia said. "Sorry, guys." Lydia added.

"It's alright, you have to do this. Besides, I'll bet your relatives are dying to see you again." Sol smiled. "Until then…" Sol extended his hand. "…to the road ahead." Lydia took Sol's hand and squeezed.

"I swear, me and Rudi will be back. We're not just going to leave you guys hanging." Lydia promised.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll manage while you guys are away." Toran chimed in.

"Just try not to take too long. I don't know if I can keep these two in check all by myself." Diana joked.

"Hey, we don't get into that much trouble." Sol said.

"Yeah!… well _I_ don't. Sol on the other hand…." Toran trailed off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sol yelled.

________________________________________________________________________

**Barri Dungeon**

"So this is the hideout our unit is supposed to operate from?" Quari said, looking the place over. They were using an abandoned mining shaft as their base, several rusted mining carts were tipped over and left decaying in a corner to make room for everything else. The area was sucked dry of useful minerals or ore and only old wooden support columns and eerily lit lanterns were left. Several knights and servants were working on repairing or replacing the support beams to keep the place from falling down on top of them. "I ask for an outpost and I get a crumbling cave." Quari muttered, wiping some dirt off of his face. He wasn't all that surprised to get something like this as his first assigned outpost. He was only recently promoted to his position as a unit commander and he saw this as a right of passage. When he managed to turn this desolate place into a fully functional base then he will have proved his worth.

"It isn't that bad… I think it has a somewhat calming atmosphere to it." Sylvina said.

"How is a crumbling mine shaft calming?" Quari asked his younger sister. He heard her mumble something about him not appreciating the finer points in life when Quari noticed someone among the groups of faceless drones. He was swathed in dark robes with intricate red patterns sewn into it, he wore a blank white mask that concealed everything except his brown eyes. Everything else was hidden by his hood witch kept his physical features out of sight unless you got real close, although Quari doubted anyone would want to. "Why do we have this guy here?" Quari muttered as he watched the cloaked figure move about the groups, watching one group work then another in a random order. When he was assigned to accompany Quari's unit, little information was given about him. All he was told was that he was the first significant breakthrough the Dark knights had in a long time. "I don't like this one bit."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. It's our first assignment, how hard could it be?" Sylvina assured him.

"Well… as long as he doesn't do anything, I guess it doesn't matter." Quari said, uneasily.

________________________________________________________________________

**Unknown Location**

Adrian sighed, reclining back into his leather chair, closing a book that he was reading. The several candle flames in his room flickered and danced, warping the shadows of himself as well as the several instruments he had mounted on his wall. "It's nice to have a little break every now and then wouldn't you say Mai?" Adrian knew full well that she couldn't respond. Hell, he was lucky that she was even moving at all. He looked Mai over with a proud look. "You really are one of my best puppets aren't you?" He said. He remembered being given the task to be one of those researching necromancy and told to do begin his experiments on a small group of corpses (How they were obtained was something he didn't want to know). He had found a way to mix his experiments with his own passion, music, and soon his music was able to bring "life" to things that were once dead, the dream of any passionate musician, however warped his version was.

After several experiments and false starts, Mai soon emerged. He managed to find a way to restore the rotting flesh, heal the wounds and bruises that littered her body, and turn her into an extremely reliable asset. However, in order to keep the body from deteriorating it had to be bound to someone and since no one else was willing to do it, Adrian chose to be the first person to undertake this. From then on, he considered Mai his only real success concerning necromancy. Regrettably, this method was seen as too much of a burden and he was ordered instead to halt his experiments and serve in a more direct fashion. Instead of studying the bodies, he'd provide them. It didn't really make that much of a difference but he still missed the research.

"I wonder what you might think if I was able to save your brain and the memories it held? Maybe I should go after that so called brother of yours and get a full set huh?" Adrian asked. Mai still, unsurprisingly, gave no response and simply stared at the floor. Her short silver hair drooped down to cover her eyes. Adrian pushed them away only to see the emotionless stare from the gray eyes that waited beneath. "A part of me wishes to see you when you were still alive."

As Adrian spoke a guard entered into his room. "Sir!"

Adrian looked over at the guard. "What is it?" he said in a rather exhausted tone.

"Your presence is requested in the meeting room." The soldier replied.

Adrian sighed and stood up. "Very well, tell them I'm on my way. Mai, let's go." as Adrian left Mai followed him, staying no farther behind than a few feet. The pair entered the large chamber and saw his other associates already in place. The curved tables arranged in a circle seemed to be too spacious for the few who were of appropriate rank to enter the room. Aside from Adrian and Mai, Vulcan and Triad were sitting in the two chairs off to the side, Diran and Tanya were in the chairs directly opposite them. Adrian noted the bandages that shown through Diran's clothes. Adrian and Mai took the pair of seats a few chairs away from Diran and Tanya.

"_Why is it that there is so much space here?"_ Adrian thought to himself. Although Quari and Sylvina weren't here there still would be at least a dozen chairs left over if they were.

"**I see we have a relatively full house."** An huge armored figure walked forward looking as if he materialized out of the darkness. Adrian recognized him as Morgant, Cichol's second in command and effectively their boss.

"So what's this meeting about?" Vulcan asked in a casual and relaxed tone, despite the fact that he's speaking to his superior.

"**It appears that it isn't just Sol's group that we need to be concerned about."** Morgant said. **"A group of paladins led by Soma Hecate are also beginning to close in on us. You and Adrian have experience with this particular squad isn't that right?"** Morgant said.

Vulcan shrugged. "I only fought the guy, don't expect me to know anything about him. He has a mean swing though…" Vulcan said.

"**You were ordered to keep surveillance on him!"** Morgant boomed.

"We were only able to keep tabs on them for two days until they went to Torim. After that things got chaotic. It's all in the report we filed." Vulcan said, unfazed by Morgant's increasingly hostile tone.

"**What about the girl? The one who recently started traveling with them?"** Morgant asked.

"The girl? The one with the reddish-pink hair?" Vulcan asked, resting his feet up on the table. "We didn't really observe anything unusual, why?"

"**Our lord has sensed a slight disturbance in the soul stream. He believes one of it's guardians is missing."** Morgant explained.

"Why would he care about something like that. I thought he'd be thrilled at a little chaos thrown into the mix." Vulcan said.

"**He also believes that Nao could be aiding the Paladins directly. And the this new person in their group might be her in disguise."** Morgant explained, his tone gradually calming down.

"Her? Well now that you mention it… She does look a little like her… and her name also rang a bell…. Naomi I think it was."

"You don't even know your target's name? I knew we couldn't entrust this mission to you." Diran said.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know? She didn't seem all that suspicious." Vulcan defended.

"Nao, Naomi. It's not that hard to figure out you know! She didn't even change her appearance that much. All she did was changer her hair color, style, and her choice of clothing." Diran said. "If you really put your all into it, this would've been the first thing you figured out." Vulcan and Diran continued arguing.

"Sir, if I may ask, why is it so important to keep watch over Soma's squad? I understand that the presence of Nao is an alarming factor but it doesn't seem like they are doing anything to deliberately undermine our operations. At least not on their own, they've been following the orders of their commander."

"**Lord Cichol believes that Nao might be trying to steer them towards finding the gate to our realm. If that happens and Sol and his group arrive as well, then we may have a bit of trouble on our hands. Glas Ghaibhleann is still not complete and if Soma also manages to bring a paladin army to our doorstep… well I don't need to describe what could happen."**

"I see… Why doesn't she just tell them how to get here straight out?" Adrian asked.

"**Hopefully, it's because she doesn't know herself."** Morgant said.

Before the meeting could continue a soldier burst in through the doors. "Sirs! I just received a report from one of our scouts! It appears that Soma's and Sol's groups are heading towards Barri dungeon! They could arrive there within the next couple of days!"

Diran and Vulcan stopped their arguing. **"Thank you for the information. You are dismissed."** Morgant waited until the soldier left. **"Since Diran and Tanya are still recovering… Vulcan, Triad! You are to provide back up for Quari and Sylvina. Their base still isn't completely secure so get there as soon as possible."** Morgant ordered.

Vulcan and Triad confirmed the order and proceeded out the door. Adrian stood up as well, deciding that he had nothing left to gain from the meeting at it's current state. As the door closed, Morgant turned to Diran and Tanya. **"Why were you two injured this severely?" **Morgant asked. **"Were you holding back again?"**

Diran shrugged. "With all due respect sir, if I go all out these missions don't last very long." Diran said.

"**You should be putting**** the needs of the order above your own personal pleasure."** morgant scolded.

"I know, I know… If we're done here, Me and Tanya will be in our respective rooms." Diran and Tanya soon left.

A chilling voice filled the room as soon as they left. _**"You seem troubled by something…"**_ Cichol's voice rang.

"**I'm concerned about Diran and Vulcan. They have been showing signs of defiance in the past few weeks."** Morgant said.

"_**It doesn't matter… They know that if they try anything it will be the end of them… I want you to increase your surveillance on Sol." **_Cichol commanded.

"**May I ask you something, my lord?"** Morgant asked, Cichol gave him permission. **" How did he obtain the powers he has. If he is a dark knight, why is he fighting against you?"**

"_**Lets just say… Something from the past is coming to haunt me…" **_Cichol replied

________________________________________________________________________

**With Sol's group**

Sol stared up into the night sky, laying down under the huge tree in the center of Tracy's logging camp. He always thought that watching the moonlight filter through the tree branches was a very relaxing sight, he almost fell asleep a couple of times. After replenishing their supplies, Sol and the others had decided to head out as soon as possible. They had actually managed to make good time and made it halfway through the woods by nightfall, making a pit stop at Tracy's before continuing.

As Sol gazed up into the stars he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked and saw a familiar brown robe. "Toran!? What are you doing out here?" Sol asked.

"Just walking around…You?" Toran asked.

"Just stargazing…" Sol said, sighing. "It seems like wherever we go there's always something waiting to kill us." Sol said.

"It's more like they're trying to kill _you_ and everyone else gets sucked into the chaos." Toran pointed out.

"That makes me feel better." Sol muttered sarcastically. They both laughed.

Toran then asked Sol. "Hey, do you really think it's okay for Lydia and Rudi to just leave like this?" Tran said.

"Why, you don't trust them?" Sol said, sitting up against the trunk of the tree.

"It's not that... It's just that I don't think it's a very good Idea to let our group split up like this. With our luck, if those two leave then our enemy will certainly take the chance to attack us again." Toran pointed out.

Sol considered what his friend said. Knocking the group down by 2 people would complicate things in the future. If The dark knights didn't try getting a piece of him it would be Soma and the Paladins. "It's fine…" Sol finally said. "I said from the beginning that they never had any obligation to stay. Besides, when they do comeback the payoff will be worth it." Sol said standing up. "We should probably head to the tents. We've still got a long way ahead of us." Sol said. "You know… I really hate this bouncing back and forth across the continent. We need to find some other way to transport ourselves." Sol commented before heading off.

________________________________________________________________________

**Sen Mag plateau **

"I didn't know we had a road that cut straight to Gairech hill…" Shaosu said as he pitched his tent.

"Shouldn't a knight be familiar with his surroundings? No wonder you got left behind before." Kai teased.

"I thought we agreed not to mention that!" Shaosu yelled back.

"He does have a point, Shaosu. You're lucky I struck the 'sleeping in and getting left behind' part out of the report." Soma scolded. "If you get left behind this time don't bother coming back."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh? Besides, I said I was sorry didn't I?" Shaosu slammed the last stick into the ground and examined his tent to make sure it stood up correctly. He saw everyone else doing similar things. "Captain? Where's Nao?" Shaosu asked, walking up to Soma.

"Her tent is over on that small hill over there. Soma said nodding in the appropriate direction.

Shaosu walked up the hill and saw her tent. It was indigo in color and the cylindrical shape curved at the top to form a cone. Shaosu peeked inside but saw it was empty. He looked up and saw her silhouette on the other side. Shaosu walked around and saw Nao staring off into the distance. She wasn't wearing her Naomi disguise, her white hair seemed to shine in the moonlight.

Nao turned and smiled. "Shaosu, is there something you need?" She asked.

"I just came up here to check on you." Shaosu said, scratching the back of his head. Nao patted the ground next to her and Shaosu sat down.

"The night is so relaxing isn't it? The stars and the moon shining above you, the gentle breeze blowing through the air…" Nao said.

"Y-yeah…" Shaosu said, blushing lightly. "Isn't it a little dangerous to make your tent so far from the main group? What if something attacks or someone recognizes you?" Shaosu said trying to break the silence, then mentally punching himself for picking a rather morbid topic.

"It's fine, I don't sense anything malevolent in the area. Besides, it's nice to just relax every now and again." Nao said, laying down on the grass. Shaous did the same.

"Hey…" Shaosu started, Nao turned and looked at him. "About the Captain's story from a few days ago…about him, Sol, and my brother." Shaosu looked at Nao. "I get the feeling that there's a bit more to it than what was mentioned, isn't there?" Shaosu asked.

Nao looked back up at the moon. "Well…" Nao pondered whether or not it would be okay to tell Shaosu about Luna's secret, or why Sol did all the things he did. She wondered if Shaosu would be able to keep it from his captain, Soma _is_ very perceptive. And if Soma did find out, what then? It might stop him from hunting Sol down, but the emotional toll of finding out that the reason he came this far, the reason he pushed himself so hard wasn't even real, might be a little too much to take. At least at this point it was.

As Nao opened her mouth, a voice boomed in. "Hey! Get to bed you two! We won't be making any stops tomorrow so rest up!" Soma yelled.

"Yeah! Get moving you love birds!" Kai yelled.

Shaosu sat up. "Never mind what I asked." He dusted himself off. "If you do have something to say then you'll tell us when you're ready right?"

Nao nodded, smiling. "Goodnight." She said. Shaosu said goodnight as well and walked back towards his tent.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton**

"_Damn it, I knew this would happen…"_ Nerys thought to herself as she sat on a bench next to her shop, watching the several knights patrol the city. Not long after River was taken back to the paladin HQ a new set of nights came in to occupy the city. They were under the command of a woman name Marina Mason who, unlike River, brought her entire unit in and took control of the police force around town. Not much had changed for the most part, much to everyone's relief. Many of the townspeople had expected the knights to start imposing stricter laws and curfews for harboring fugitives, luckily that wasn't the case. People were allowed out of their homes when they wanted to, the shops remained open and well stocked, the only thing that really changed was that you'd see one or two armed paladins every 4 steps. There were even patrols outside the immediate area of the city and in Dugald Aisle and Gairech Hill. It was almost impossible for even a mouse to get through.

"I hope Diana and the others are doing okay…" Nerys muttered quietly to herself.

**Outside Dunbarton**

Diana and the others hid along the tree line surrounding Dunbarton. Diana and Toran were crouched down behind a long line of bushes, Lydia was in a tree and Rudi was crouched down several feet behind the others. "This is insane! Why'd they have to send so many! Shouldn't the dark knights be more of a concern?" Diana complained as she peeked out from behind the bush.

"Well I'm sure when Sol transformed, that scythe wielding knight reported it." Toran said.

"Speaking of whom, where is that idiot anyway?" Lydia said, poking her head down from the branches.

Diana looked around and stared in horror at what she saw. Sol was standing on one leg in the open, painted his body several shades of green, held to tree branches out on both arms and had even more branches and leaves strapped to his head so that it looked like he had a huge green afro. His face held an expression of serious determination.

"Be the tree…" Sol said to himself in a meditative tone. "Be the- gyaaah!" Sol was dragged into the bushes by Diana.

"What was that for? I was trying to hide, in case you haven't noticed." Sol said in a mocking tone. He had several bumps and bruises from getting beaten up. "And did you have to hit that hard? I mean…"

"What were you thinking with that stunt!?" Diana scolded. "Did you actually think you could camouflage yourself like that? You're lucky that no one was close enough to see you!" She glared

"Shut up! Do you want the guards to hear us?" Toran hissed. As he took his next step he snapped a tree branch.

"Hey I heard something…" A guard said.

"Over there! It's them!" Another yelled.

"Smooth…" Sol said. The five of them darted through the thick tree line, ducking and weaving to avoid low branches and arrows alike, and heading towards Gairech hill.

________________________________________________________________________

**Dunbarton, Town office building**

Marina Mason sat at her desk in what was the office belonging to the captain of the town guard. Her team had came in and turned the town into her own personal base of operations, the fugitive wouldn't get by as easily as before. She had long, dark indigo hair tied in a knot that looked like the leaves of a pineapple. She had grayish blue eyes, pale and surprisingly soft skin, and aura that said "Don't mess around or I'll kick your ass!" She wore the standard Claus knight armor that most paladins of her rank wore with exception of Soma who seemed to wear his own personally designed armor.

As she continued to sign signature after signature on the huge stack of documents on her desk, she sighed. "This is why I hate moving to a new location, there's always a mountain of papers waiting for you when you get settled." Marina complained.

"I thought you'd be used to this kind of thing by now." A cheerful voice chimed in through the office. A flash of light enveloped the room and a young girl materialized into the room. She had long blond hair, pointy ears, white skin, and orange eyes. She was also clad in a long lime green gown and had metallic wings extending from her back. "I don't really see a point in complaining when you knew this would happen." She said.

"Elleina. I don't remember calling for you." Marina said.

"No need. I know when I'm wanted." Elleina said, giving a thumbs up sign.

"Why are you even out here? We're not in a fight, unless you count me fighting my boredom." Marina said.

"Why? Don't you like talking with me? Besides, it gets' stuffy in that wooden blade of yours." Elleina said.

"Listen, I have a bit of a head ache. Could we continue this some other time?" Marina asked in an exhausted tone.

"Aw come on!"

"Shouldn't spirit weapons be more submissive to their wielders?" Marina said.

"Fine, be that way." Elleina said in a put off tone. "See you around, _master_." Elleina said in a sarcastic tone.

As an outline of light surrounded her, one of the knights under Marina's command burst into the room. "Captain! We've got a problem!"

"What is it?" Marina asked, standing up.

"It's the fugitive, Sol Invictus! He's been sighted outside the city! Apparently they've been using the thick tree line around the area to hide." The guard finished.

"Did you catch him?" Marina asked.

"Uh…well…no. we gave chase but we lost them in the woods." The knight replied meekly.

"How long ago was this?" Marina asked, her voice trembling.

"About… 30 minutes ago…"

"And why wasn't I informed…" Marina said, her fists beginning to shake.

"Uh… well… we weren't expecting anything like this so soon and we sort of…" The knight saw the captain getting closer. "Uh… ma'am? What are you doing?" She stepped closer. "We-we weren't prepared for something so soon and uh!"

"Excuses, excuses! Are you telling me that you let my ticket out of this place slip right through your fingers!?" Smashing sound and panicking were heard throughout the town office.

_______________________________________________________________________

**Gairech hill**

"Man… What happened here?" Kai said as he stared down into the abandoned excavation site. Most of the rock and rubble had caved in, destroying several wooden walkways and making years of work null and void.

"Looks like Sol's handiwork." Soma said as he took a passing glance. "Hold on… Do you hear some thing?" Soma asked. All five of them listened closely, hearing a chink sound coming from one of the still open mining shafts.

"Is someone down there? Sera asked. A man soon emerged from the tunnel, stretching as soon as he exited. He had soot and dirt covering most of his face but it couldn't hide the content smile spread across his lips.

The man looked up and saw the group of Paladins. "Well hello there! Are you one your way to town? If you are it's back that way!" The man pointed towards the town. "My names Seumas."

"What are you doing down there? Isn't this place abandoned?" Sera asked.

"When this place collapsed it revealed a whole host of new minerals and supplies. I'm the only one working on it so far but more will come eventually. The mines in town aren't all that safe anymore if you catch my drift." Seumas said

"I see… Have you seen a man named Sol pass through here!?" Soma yelled down.

"No, but he was here several weeks ago, made a bit of a ruckus." Seumas said.

"That must've been when I fought him." Shaosu commented.

"Alright then, thank you for the info." Soma yelled down and proceeded towards the town.

________________________________________________________________________

**Barri Dungeon**

Quari sat, cross legged, in the middle of the small room he had made for himself, meditating. A moment later he heard someone enter. Quari turned around and saw Sylvina. "You know what? I take back what I said earlier." He said turning back around. "this place can be pretty relaxing once you fix it up and set the right atmosphere. I haven't been this relaxed in ages." Quari said.

"The scout's report just came in. A paladin squad is on their way here." Sylvina said bluntly.

"And now my moment is ruined…" Quari said in a disappointed tone. "You like doing this kind of thing to don't you? Anyway, are they already in town?" Quari asked standing up.

"They just entered the town gate when I received the report. Soma Hecate is with them." Sylvina confirmed.

"Alright… Tell the men to get ready. It's our first real encounter with a Paladin captain." Quari said, picking up his hooked cutlasses and strapping them on. "We should make sure to give him a warm welcome." A sly grin appeared on his face.

________________________________________________________________________

**Gairech Hill**

Sol ran past the large hills as he exited the woods and kept running, oblivious to the fact that no one was chasing him anymore, that the only thing around him was grass and dirt. Eventually he stopped, collapsing in exhaustion on the ground. "(deep breathing)… This guys were persistent… Where are the others?" Sol looked around, during the chase all five of them decided to split up in an attempt to shake off their pursuers. "Guys! Guys!" Sol yelled. "Damn…should've seen this one coming." as Sol took a step forward he saw Diana come into view from behind the hills, the strap holding her crossbow was loosened and started to sag.

"Where's Toran?" She asked.

Toran then came into view sliding down the hill Diana had walked out from. "You called?" He said, panting.

"Now that just leaves two." Sol said.

"Actually, we're all that's left from here on." Toran said. "Lydia wanted me to tell you something before we split off. She said that this is where she and Rudi were going to take off towards their family's settlement." Toran explained. "She also said, 'sorry that I couldn't stick around to say good bye. See you next time!'" Toran said.

"Oh…" Diana said in a sad tone.

"I didn't even get a chance to make a heartfelt speech." Sol said disappointed.

"This is no time for jokes!" Diana yelled.

"What are you getting worked up about? They'll be back, eventually. We have to focus on the job at hand." Sol said.

"I guess you're right." Diana said. "So now we head to Bangor?" Diana said.

"Yup! I wonder if they're still peeved about that little fight me and that one kid had in the streets." Sol said.

Lydia and Rudi looked through a pair of binoculars at Sol, Diana, and Toran. "We'll be back guys. Count on it." Lydia said.

"Getting dark. We should hurry." Rudi said.

"Yeah… Let's go." Lydia replied, pulling out a map.

"Do you guys here something?" Sol said, a chinking sound assaulting his ears. The trio looked down and saw a man working in a tunnel. "Is that…Seumas! Is that you!?" Sol yelled down

"How do you know it's him?" Toran asked.

"I have my methods." Sol replied.

"That voice… Sol is that you?" Seumas came out. "It's been a while! Hey some guys came through here looking for you! Are the friends of yours?" Seumas yelled.

"Did these guys have armor on?" Toran asked.

"I couldn't see but I think so. One of them had red eyes that seemed to stand out though." Seumas said.

"Red eyes? Oh crap… Why now?" Sol said running his hand through his hair.

"Should we turn back? Diana asked.

"Are you kidding me? After the stunt we just pulled we'll be lucky if we get within 6 feet of Dunbarton. All we can do is keep going." Sol said.

"I see… well let's just hope for the best." Toran said.

________________________________________________________________________

**Bangor**

Soma and the others stared at the cold and forbidding entrance to the mining tunnel that was Barri dungeon. The howling of the wind could be heard echoing out of the cave.

"So our orders are to enter into an abandoned mine shaft, an abandoned mine shaft that could collapse at any moment I might add, and investigate a rumor sent by an anonymous individual that may or may not be true?" Kai said. "Why is it that it's always our unit that gets the short end of the stick?"

"You always try to find a flaw in everything don't you?" Shaosu said.

"Someone has to point out the obvious flaws that the higher ups give." Kai said defensively

"And as a result you've been demoted 3 times in the past." Soma said. "Remember that fiasco with captain Mason? You were lucky that I decided to take you in after that." Soma said.

"Oh God… Please don't mention that again, I'm still getting over the scars." Kai said, a chill running down his spine.

"What happened between him and Captain Mason?" Shaosu asked.

"Oh yeah, that was before you joined up. Well, you see…" Sera began.

"Don't tell him!! He's too young!" Kai yelled.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Sera said.

"It was to me and, if there's a shred of humanity in that woman, it is to her." Kai said in a panicking tone.

"Maybe we should discuss this another time." Sera said.

"Are you finished? Then let's get this over with." Soma said pulling out his claymore. The others took similar actions with their weapons and stepped forward into the darkness.

**Elsewhere**

"Feels weird you know? Traveling around without Lydia and Rudi I mean." Toran said as The trio walked into town.

"I know, we haven't really been traveling with them for all that long but still… Hey, where's Sol?" Diana looked around and saw Sol darting from bush to lamp post in an attempt to stay hidden. "Would you quit that? You're attracting more attention to yourself."

"I can't take any chances! If Soma is in this town, I have to make sure that no one notices me!" Sol said.

Diana looked around and saw some people whispering, whether it was because they recognized him from last time or if it was because of what he was doing now she didn't know…or care. "You've already failed that now come on! We're losing what little daylight we have left." Diana said, eyeing the orange sky. "We've gotta keep moving."

Eventually the trio stood before the entrance to the dungeon. "I have a bad feeling about…" Sol started.

"Could we please not mention bad feelings? It's getting old." Toran said.

"Seems like no matter what we do there's always someone gunning for us." Diana commented. "Let's just go…" The trio descended into the cave.

________________________________________________________________________

**Barri Dungeon**

"What is it?" Quari asked, arms crossed. He stood in the center of the room with Sylvina by his side, waiting for their paladin guests.

"We have some good news and some bad news." The scout said. "The good news is that Vulcan and Adrian are on their way to assist us. The bad news is… well Sol and his group are on their way down here as well. In fact, Both Soma and Sol's groups are in the dungeon as we speak." The scout finished.

"I understand the need to test my abilities but isn't that a bit extreme?" Quari stated. "Wait, if they're both inside then why aren't they fighting? Aren't Sol and Soma enemies?"

"If you remember, the mine has several tunnels. They probably just took different routes." Sylvina said.

"Should I send some squads out?" the scout asked.

"No… the caverns are too tight, wait until they get to an open room." As Quari finished, the masked member that was with them tensed up and placed his hand on the long sword strapped to his belt. "What's the matter?" Quari heard a digging sound. "Do you hear something?" He asked.

**Elsewhere**

"This is the seventh dead end!" Shaosu yelled kicking a rock. "What are you doing?" He as when he saw Nao crouching next to some rocks.

"Making a map. I've been drawing the path we've taken so far on this grid paper." She said holding it up. "What' the captain doing?"

"Your not officially part of the army so you don't have to refer to him by rank." Shaosu pointed out. "Anyway, he thinks that if he digs into that wall fast enough then he might find some kind of secret room or something. I don't know why he's thinking that, he said it was because of a gust of air or something-" Shaosu's thoughts were interrupted by a crumbling sound and an "I told you so." coming from Soma.

**With Sol**

Sol pressed his back against the wall peeking across the corner then jumping out with his sword ready.

"Give it a rest will you? You're usually calm and relaxed even in a fight. Now your jumping at shadows that aren't even there!" Diana said.

"Whoah." Toran said cutting her off. "Who makes a mine tunnel angle upward?" Toran said looking at a huge ramp, a rusted cart track in the middle.

"Maybe it's going down and we're just going the opposite direction." Diana pointed out. The trio made their way up the ramp occasionally passing an old mining cart that got jammed up somehow. Eventually the passage entered into a large empty room save for a few rats scurrying about.

"This is pointless…" sol said frustrated. "We have entered a maze, there's no way we're going to find anything in a place like this!" He said walking out into the center of the room. "I'm sorry, I just…" Sol stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a crack in the middle of the floor. "How old exactly was this place?" Sol said.

Toran looked around. "Judging from how old this stuff is… I'd say a few decades to a century." Toran said uneasily.

"I hate this-" Sol was interrupted as the ground began to rumble beneath his feet.

"Sol!" Diana and Toran shouted.

As they rushed forward, the entire room began to collapse sending both of them tumbling downward.

Quari laid down on his back, a scowl on his face. Not only had the reinforcements that he was promised not arrived on time but Paladins had managed to penetrated his base just minutes after it was officially completed and the entire roof of the main room came tumbling down on top of him. It seemed as though the entire universe was conspiring against him. But he still refused to give in to despair, he actually welcomed the challenges. When he was younger he loved it when people started taunting him or insulting him. It made it all the more satisfying for when his victory, this was no exception. With one fist, he punched away the rocks that were above him and continued to carve a hole large enough for him to crawl through, soon he saw rays of light shining down on him.

Sol stood up, staggering a little to regain his footing. Luckily, he was only partially buried under dirt and small rocks. He heard sounds of fighting around him. "Sounds like the party already started." Sol said pulling out his Katana. As he did so, Quari burst out of the ground. A second later, Soma pushed several boulders out of his way and walked forward seeing Sol. "Oh god…" Sol said looking at Quari and Soma.

"You!" Soma charged ahead and stabbed his claymore forward and hit Quari's blades as Sol leaped into the air to dodge. Quari pushed Soma's blade away and moved in to attack, his blades slashing through air as Soma dodged and sidestepped. Quari stabbed forward with his right blade but was stopped as Soma grabbed the blade. "You…are not the one I want!" Soma tightened his grip, the cutlass beginning to slice into Somas less protected palm. Soma pulled Quari forward and kicked him across the room, sending him crashing through several boulders.

Sol rushed Soma from behind and attempted to slash him across the back only to be blocked by cold steel. "I came to get this mission over with and start my search for you again and instead you come to me. The goddess must truly be on my side." Soma grinned as he pushed Sol away with his sword.

"Why would the goddess help you specifically." Sol asked.

"They say the goddess helps those who seek revenge. I was able to obtain one of the highest levels a paladin can reach in only a fraction of the time it takes others. I'm confident that the goddess gave me this power to destroy you." Soma said flashing a confident grin. "Now you die!" Soma rushed forward and swung his blade.

Toran block the swing from Sera's spear. "I've been looking to pay you back for Sidhe Sneachta! It took me hours to get my hair back to normal permanently." Toran yelled as he leaped back and shot a trio of icicles at Sera.

She rolled and swatted them away. "Is that all? Your mad because I messed up your hair!? Even I'm not that shallow!" Sera said conjuring a lightning strike and shooting it at Toran.

Toran plunged his staff into the ground and a lightening shield appeared in front of him, blocking the attack. "It's that, and a certain satisfaction with using my skills to their fullest." Toran said, raising his right hand, an Ice spear forming above it. "Eat this!" Toran launched it at Sera.

Sera shot a fire bolt at it malting it instantly. "So your one of those guys huh? The kind of guy who gets a kick out of the rush of a battle?" Sera inquired, getting ready to charge Toran with her spear.

"When you put it like that, I sound like a lunatic." Toran said blocking Sera's attack. They were practically nose to nose. "It's just satisfying to me, is all."

Kai shot several arrows, hitting any dark knight that tried to get up. "This is like shooting monkeys in a barrel." Kai muttered as he took another one down. He turned when he heard movement and stared at the blue haired woman in front of him. "You…" Kai muttered remembering how she electrocuted him with that enchanted arrow.

"You're the one of Sidhe Sneachta!" Diana exclaimed. When she saw him.

"Revenge!" Kai took aim, using his visor to zoom in on Diana's face which had a perplexed look on it. Kai shot arrow after arrow, pulling out new ones faster and faster each time.

Diana sidestepped and ducked to avoid the arrows, eventually she rolled to the side and took cover behind a large boulder. She fired the last of her arrows and discharged the empty canister. "Damn it! How is he dishing those things out so fast!? Does he have some hidden in his armor?" Diana wondered as she slammed a new clip into place. Several arrows then whizzed past her and turned around in mid air so that they were facing her now. "Oh yeah… forgot he could do that." Diana said ducking just before the arrows hit her head. She rolled onto her stomach and pulled a small lever on side of her crossbow. She pulled the trigger and it sent a half dozen arrows at Kai and rolled back behind another boulder. He rolled out of the way of those and watched as the areas that the arrows struck burst into pillars of flame.

"Still using those tricks huh?" Kai said taking cover and readying another shot. "Why do you insist on helping a guy like Sol anyway!?" Kai asked.

"Don't talk like you know him!" Diana yelled.

"My captain seems to know him well enough." Kai retorted.

"Even if I did explain you wouldn't bother to listen!" Diana yelled out, taking a peek around to see if she could get a good angle. Finding no advantage in her current location, she decided to try and dive towards her original piece of cover.

"Got me there!" Kai said as he heard the gravel crunch. He leaped out just as she did. They both aimed and fired.

Nao walked along and observed the large piles of destroyed rock and mining equipment. "If this place was falling apart before…I don't think it will be able to take much more of this." Nao stopped dead in her tracks as a thin flash of light darted past her. Following it with her eyes, Nao looked and saw a small knife lodged into the wall. She looked up and saw Sylvina glaring down at her. "Are you one of the Dark knights?" She asked, summoning her staff.

Sylvina held up a hand and several knifes appeared from a dispenser in her sleeve. "Let's not waste time on formalities." Sylvina said, taking a combat stance. "And lose the disguise. It's not like it really helps anything." She continued.

Nao got ready as well, slowly returning to her original form. "I don't have a lot of combat experience. But I should be able to handle you." She said, pointing her staff at Sylvina.

Sylvina grinned. "We'll see…" Another set of knives appeared on Sylvina's other hand. She took aim and let them fly.

Shaosu was knocked back into the wall, creating a large dent and cracking the surface. Pushing himself off, he landed on the ground and wiped the dust off his armor. "Not bad… I expected no less from a dark knight." Shaosu said facing the cloaked man. A light aura engulfing him. "I've always wanted a chance to take this to it's fullest." Shaosu said as the paladin armor encased him. "Don't hold back now!" Shaosu darted forward, slamming his Katana against the cloaked man's long sword, smashing him into a boulder. The cloaked man pushed his blade away and slashed at Shaosu's chest, the blade grinding against the armor. "Not good enough!" Shaosu grabbed the masked an by the throat and tossed him, causing him to crash into yet another boulder. The cloaked man stood up and readied his blade and ran towards Shaosu. Shaosu stabbed forward with his claymore, sending a wave of fire in the process. The cloaked man leaped up and slammed his blade down on Shaosu. Shaosu blocked it with his gauntlet but heard a cracking noise. Shaosu shoved him away and looked at his arm a small crack was forming. The cloaked man then stabbed forward, Shaosu just barely sidestepping and grabbing the blade. The cloaked man leaped up, letting go of his sword, and kicked Shaosu's claymore out of his hand. As he landed, Shaosu jabbed the long sword forward and hit the cloaked man in the face with the butt of the sword handle, cracking the mask. The cloaked man staggered back, clutching his face. "What's the matter? Can't face your opponent without… your…mask…?" Shaosu stared in horror at the true face of the person he was fighting. "No… You can't be…" Shaosu stepped back. The hood of the cloak fell backward, the mask fragments scattered all over the ground. As the man removed his hand from his face, he revealed the slicked back black hair and the clear brown eyes. "C…Ceez?" Shaosu said as the two brothers stared at each other.

________________________________________________________________________

This chapter felt a little rushed, especially at the end, but I had a bit of trouble advancing the story from here so I just had to wing it. I just wanted to finish this up so I could get it out of the way, so hopefully things will get better from here on out.

Anyway… Ceez is alive! Dun dun dunnnnn! Okay, not the biggest of plot twist (not to mention a cheesey one) but it was all I could come up with. Well, see you next chapter.

PS: Sorry for my bad grammar and spelling errors. For some reason, spell check isn't working right on my computer. (not sure why I'm saying this again but… who cares)

PSS: Starting next chapter, I may put up some mini profiles of some minor characters who have appeared so far since I can't find a good place to put their backs stories in detail in the main story.


	13. Chapter 13

**Unlucky 13... This chapter has lived up to that name in a number of ways. It came at the exact time that school started, it took me an untold amount of time to complete, several scenes in here were hard for me to work out as you will probably be able to tell in parts of the writing and lastly (Slight Spoiler) 2 characters die. **

…

**Really unlucky here…**

PS: I had some technical difficulties while uploading this thing so that it still said "Author's note 2" on the chapter title. Sorry Folks!

**________________________________________________________________________**

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 13: Comrade**

_Richiev stood in front of a tall stone house on the corner of one of Emain macha's many streets. There had been reports of theft in several houses and they finally cornered him. The only problem was that it was at the house of one of his closest friends_

"_Is this it?" a guard asked, the heavy rain pouring down on the small group of knights. _

"_Yeah, this is it. You think it's that thief that's been skulking the area around here?" Another asked._

"_It's gotta be."_

"_Would you jerks quit talking and bust on in already?" Richiev ordered. _

"_Y-yes sir!"_ _The guards turned toward the door and opened it. When they discovered it was locked, they kicked it in._

"_I hope those guys are okay…" Richiev thought, as he entered his friend's home. The entire ground floor was dark, there was no signs of struggle or break in. "What kind of thief breaks in when it's the time a family is most likely to be home?" Richiev said to himself. "You two search the basement, you two stick around down here. I'll take the top floor." The guards all complied and spread out. Richiev drew his dagger, knowing full well that a long sword would be too unwieldy in the tight confines of a hallway. As he crept forward, he saw 3 figures lying down on the ground. "Oh no…" Richiev rushed forward and saw his friend and his wife dead on the ground, stabbed fatally. He also saw the thief, a knife dug into his throat. "They must've killed each other…" He heard a rustling sound in the corner and looked. He saw to boys cowering in the corner. "Kids…" Richiev said as he saw Shaosu and Ceez still in shock._

* * *

"It's been a really long time…little bro." Ceez said smiling.

"But…How? You're supposed to be dead!" Shaosu yelled.

"Yeah… about that…" Ceez chuckled nervously. "I assume you've already found out about necromancy right? The magic that controls the dead? Well, you could call me the first complete success in a resurrection." Ceez said.

"How do I know you're really him? What if this is some kind of trick?" Shaosu accused.

"Well… if you want me to prove it…" Ceez thought for a moment. "Do you want me to mention the time when you barfed in mom's purse when you were 3? Or how about Dad's wooden figurine collection that we accidentally used as fire wood? Or do you want me to remind you about that one incident in the 8'Th grade when you-"

"Okay, okay! I believe you!" Shaosu said cutting him off. "Man… I can't believe you're really alive…" Shaosu said, a feeling of happiness flickering inside him. That feeling quickly died as Shaosu brought his mind back to reality. "Then what are you doing with the Dark knights?" Shaosu asked.

Ceez's warm smile quickly faded into a frown. "They were the ones who gave me my life back." Ceez pointed out.

"But these guys are trying to destroy the world! I get that they saved your life and everything but is it worth that much? Do you even want to be on their side?"

"Well… we managed to make a deal. I'm just along to get some payback." Ceez said casually.

"Payback?"

"You see, there was a reason that everything went to hell that night. And I've come back to make that son of a bitch pay." Ceez said, rage in his voice.

"Do you mean Sol?" Shaosu asked.

"Bingo. I'm also charged with taking Soma down as well, but not you. The only people they're concerned about are Soma and Sol." A black cloud surrounded Ceez and dissipated. He was now clad in the armor of a chaos knight (minus the helmet). "As far as the higher ups are concerned, you and those other two were deemed inconsequential. So far they haven't really considered you a major threat on your own." Ceez said.

"If I'm not considered a threat, then why did you fight me?" Shaosu asked.

"Firstly, I wanted to see how much you've grown." Ceez said in a cheerful tone. Then his expression grew more serious. "I also wanted to tell you to keep it the way things are. Right now you and everyone else close to us is safe since the dark knights haven't really paid much attention to you. I have no reason to want to fight you and I don't want you to get too mixed up in all of this." Ceez explained. "That also means that you should distance yourself from your lady friend."

"You mean Naomi?" Shaosu said, thinking that ceez didn't know her secret yet.

"No, I mean Nao. They already know who she is and the only reason they took a partial interest in you was because of your involvement with her."

"Then why hasn't any action been taken on their part?" Shaosu asked.

"Who says that there hasn't? They've been keeping tabs on you two for the past couple of weeks, and I imagine that they're taking this moment to take care of her right now." Ceez declared. Shaosu's eyes widened as he realized the danger she was in. "Now that that's taken care of, I'll just be on my way." A cloud of darkness began to surround ceez again. "Hopefully I'll see you later." Ceez began to disappear.

"Wait!" Shaosu darted forward only to pass right through ceez and hit the ground. He turned and looked to see ceez dissolving.

"I'll see you in a little bit. I can hear the rest of the party and I'd hate to miss it." Ceez said as he disappeared.

"Ceez!!" Shaosu stared as he left. He wondered if he should follow him, or find Nao.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Sol blocked Soma's strike, trembling under the pressure. Sol pushed forward and attempted to slash at his gut but was blocked by an intervention from Quari. "What the-?" Sol brought his sword up as one of Quari's Gargoyle swords clanged against his Katana. Sol saw that Soma had a similar problem.

"Don't think you can just ignore me!" Quari said as he spun and knocked both Soma and Sol back. They charged at Quari and slashed at his throat only to clash against each other as he rolled away. Soma swatted Sol's blade away and stabbed forward. Sol dropped down onto his back and rolled to the side and on to his feet. Soma then turned around and blocked a strike from Quari. Sol attempted to slice Soma from behind but only struck steel as Soma forced his blade out of the lock that Quari had on him. Sol leaped back and charged at Soma again, Quari doing the same. Soma blocked both their attacks and swung in a large circle, sending all three of them skidding back.

"_This is too chaotic!"_ Soma thought, breathing hard.

"_If this keeps up, we'll all end up on the chopping block." _Sol thought

"_I have to Isolate one of them somehow!" _Quari thought.

"_One thing's for sure… These guys fight like monsters!" _All three of them thought simultaneously.

"No more playing around!" Sol said as he channeled dark energy through his body, it hardened and crystallized, taking the form of a black knight. **"Eat it!"** Sol slashed the air with his sword and sent two waves of darkness at his two opponents.

Quari held up his hand and the one coming for him dissipated. "Did you seriously think that would work against me!?" Quari yelled. A bright flash of light exploded behind him. He looked and saw that Soma was clad in the armor of a white knight.

"Let's finish this!" Soma darted at Sol, seemingly disappearing, and slammed his blade into the ground, shattering it. The shockwave sent Sol flying back and into a wall. Sol pushed himself out and gripped his Katana, blocking Soma's follow up attack as he did so. Sol pushed back and shoved Soma away. He charged in and took several slashes at Soma's chest, only barely scratching the steel.

Quari watched their duel closely, looking for a chance to jump in without being shredded. He noticed a black cloud form next to him and an armored figure step out. "So…You've come." Quari said as he faced Ceez.

"Looks like you could use a little help here." Ceez commented as he eyed Sol and Soma fighting. His hand clenched in anticipation, a black sword materializing in it. "Want me to shake things up a bit?" Ceez said glaring.

"Just do whatever you want." Quari said.

Ceez grinned and darted at Sol and Soma.

"Sol!" Soma yelled as he charged at Sol. Sol charged forward as well, his blade pulled back for a strike. As their blades met, a third one cut in between them. "What?" soma said.

"**Can't be…" **Sol muttered.

"long time no see boys! Looks like you've been keeping things lively while I slept." Ceez said grinning.

The two arrows grinded against one another as they shot towards their intended targets. Kai stepped back just in time, escaping with a small cut along his cheek. Diana took the arrow in the shoulder, but it only barely pierced the armor. As she rolled behind cover she pulled it out, taking deep breaths.

"Ha ha… Didn't think that kind of thing actually happened." Kai said, prepping another bow.

"First time for everything." Diana replied, gripping her crossbow tightly. Diana turned and fired a burst of fire arrows at Kai, the rock he was hiding behind burst into flame. Kai jumped out and shot his own arrows each one just barely missing.

"Damn!" Kai said in frustration. He struggled to keep tabs on Diana as she constantly fired arrow after arrow at him. "It's like tracking a fly…" Kai muttered as he continued to dodge arrows while trying to keep Diana locked on.

Toran and Sera cast spell after spell at each other, using opposing elements to neutralize them as needed. The ground beneath them was soaked with water due to repeated fire vs. ice situations and they did whatever they could so that they didn't accidentally electrocute themselves. Toran channeled energy through his staff and raised it into the air. The water around them shifted towards him and rose into the air, turning into large ice spears.

"This again?" Sera thought as a flame engulfed the tip of her spear. As the ice spears rushed forward Sera rapidly thrust her spear forward multiple times, the flame on her spear melting the ice spears. She slammed the tip of her spear into the ground and sent a wave of flames barreling towards Toran.

Toran generated a fire shield and deflected the flames. "This going nowhere…" Toran muttered. "Let me ask you something!" Toran yelled. Sera seemed to be willing to listen, although she was still in a combat stance. "Why are you even fighting me? Or my friends? I can understand why your captain hates Sol but this seems a little pointless when you think about it." Toran said.

"Regardless of what the point is, I will follow my captains orders without exception." Sera replied.

"An admirable sentiment, but why do you want to follow a guy like him? When it comes to his desire for revenge, he just seems to cast aside everything else."

"Because…" Sera tried to think of a reason, but the words wouldn't form. _"Why do I follow him?"_ She thought. _"From the very first day I met him, when we joined the academy, he seemed to just see through everyone. Like everyone around him were simply shadows in an endless mist. Even when he talked to me he gave me that same look. What am I looking for in him?"_ Sera asked herself in her head. She heard the crunching of gravel and looked up. Toran had leaped at her and tried to club her over the head with his staff. "Damn it!" She brought up her spear and blocked it just in time. _"I can't believe I let this happen. That's a rookie mistake!"_ Sera pushed forward as Toran leaped back.

"Damn, I though that would work." Toran said.

"It'll take more than that to shake me up." Sera said. However, in her mind, the seeds of doubt had been planted. Toran was unaware of how closely he hit the mark.

Nao dodged the knives thrown at her and swung her staff down on Sylvina when she got close enough. Sylvina raised her arm and blocked it, revealing that she had a metal plate under her sleeve (and several other places as well). Sylvina spun and kicked nao backward. She threw a set of five that found their way into Nao's staff.

"_She's faster than she looks."_ sylvina thought as Nao closed in again and attempted to smack Sylvina down.

"_How can someone move this fast?" _Nao thought as each of her attacks were either blocked or sidestepped.

"Not used to real battle are you?" Sylvina said as she blocked another blow from Nao. Nao swung her staff, the force of the blow sending the five knives jammed in flying towards Sylvina. She pulled out two larger daggers and deflected each one. "That's what you get for being a sheltered little princess for most of your life!" She taunted. She darted forward and struck. Nao blocked.

"Better than being a pawn." Nao shot back.

Sylvina pushed Nao back. "I may serve Cichol, but don't lump me, my brother or anyone else in our order with those mindless demons." Sylvina said. "We joined of our own will. We aren't conjured and bound to a master like thralls." She said.

"Can't you even comprehend what you and you're order are doing? You're disrupting the order of the world!" Nao said.

"Regardless of the consequences…" Sylvina took a steadier stance. "I will follow my brother, and Cichol as the circumstance requires, until the end." The two women glared at each other.

"**When did you join the dark knights!?**" Sol asked.

"Shouldn't that question be more along the lines of "how can you be alive?" or "how is this possible?" Ceez said in a mocking, nonchalant tone.

"**And how can you be so calm?" **Sol asked.

"Once again, not the most important issue here. An important one none the less, but not the main one." Ceez replied. "But, since we have such a long history together, I've been resurrected and bound into servitude." Ceez said.

"So this just some plot to throw us off?" soma said.

"Well, I guess those weren't the right words…" Ceez said in a thoughtful manner. "I guess the most appropriate phrase would be…" Ceez darted towards Sol and swung he sword. As soma blocked it, Ceez leaned in a little closer. "…I made a deal to get back at the bastard responsible for my death. Don't think I don't know what you did Sol!"

Sol blocked Ceez's strike, their blades grinding against each other. **"So…another ghost from the past comes back to haunt me!"** Sol said grinning. He pushed ceez back a little and attempted to slash at him. Ceez leaped back.

"So, are you on my side or theirs?" Soma asked. Ceez whipped around and swung his sword, sending a wave of dark energy towards soma. Soma blocked it with his blade and glared.

"Don't think that I'm your ally, I've received orders for your head as well Soma. Sorry, that's just the way things are now." ceez said.

"**heh…heh heh heh…. Gya haha ha hah aha!"** Sol laughed manically. **"So this is how our reunion starts! In a dance of blood and steel!**" Sol said, getting ready. All three of them moved forward, their blades clashing against each other.

Shaosu ran as fast as he could, following the sounds of battle. He didn't know who he was following but he didn't care. With all that just happened to him, he needed to do something, anything, to get his mind off the matter. The sounds of clashing metal grew louder, he heard familiar voices yelling. He sped up, occasionally weaving past the fallen debris and destroyed rocks. He kept running but soon jumped back. A shining blade was extended where his neck would have been if he kept running.

"Sorry kid… but I can't let you interfere." Quari said turning around to face Shaosu.

Shaosu looked up and saw his brother, his teacher and Sol fighting it out in a 3-way fight. "I've got no time for this!" Shaosu pulled out his two gladius swords. "Out of my way!" Shaosu leaped at Quari. Quari repelled Shaosu's attack, sending him flying backwards.

"Do you honestly think that a punk like you can defeat someone like me!" Quari said, twirling his blades. "You've probably only just reached the power you have now. You have no idea what your playing with!" He yelled.

"Shut up!" Shaosu rushed in again. Taking several stabs and slashes at Quari. He parried every single one of them and pressed forward. Shaosu pushed back and held his ground. "If you won't move then I'll make you!"

"I've fought dozens of people like you before." Quari said. "Greenhorns who thought they could play hero." Quari leaped back as Shaosu pushed against him, causing the young paladin to lurch forward. Quari kicked Shaosu in the gut, then punched him in the jaw. "You aren't any better than they were, that's for sure." Quari said.

"Gyeahh!" Nao staggered backward, clutching her shoulder. A small trickle of blood made it's way down her dress.

"I guess even spirits can bleed." Sylvina said. "you shouldn't have meddled in the affairs of this world and sat in the spectator seats like you're supposed to. Now you've gone and made all our lives difficult." Sylvina sighed. "If you hadn't come down this whole thing would've been way simpler. Now we have to rethink everything from scratch." Sylvina said in an exhausted tone. "You can't imagine how frustrated my superiors are, especially since my brother's recent promotion." Sylvina's expression grew more serious.

"So are you going to kill me then?" Nao asked.

"Don't be stupid, do you think I have enough power to kill a guardian of the soul stream? The being capable of doing that is another spirit or a god." Sylvina explained. "However…" She readied her knives. "Just because I can't kill you, doesn't mean I can't capture you."

"So that's you're game!" Nao said. _"This explains why she never exploited an opening for a fatal strike!"_

"Oh my, did I let that slip? Like it matters!" Sylvina leaped up and slammed her knives down on Nao's staff. Nao's face twitched when her shoulder wound ached. Sylvina grinned and flipped in the air and brought her heel down on Nao's wounded shoulder.

"Aghhh!" Nao yelled as pain racked her body. She fell to her knees and clutched her wound. "Damn it…" She muttered.

"Don't make this hard on yourself and just surrender." Sylvina held her knife to Nao's neck. "It'll make things easier on both of us."

Diana breathed heavily, looking from side to side. Her and Kai's battle took them all over the place and now she was literally backed into a corner. "where are you?" she muttered to no one in particular as she scanned the destroyed rocks and crevices, watching the shadows for movement.

Kai gulped down some water and wiped his mouth, his choice for a hiding spot was working pretty well for once. "tough little bugger…" He commented reaching for an arrow. Kai furrowed his brow when it took him a while to find one. "What the hell?" he muttered looking behind him. He saw that his supply of arrows was almost completely drained, only 3 remained minus the one in his hand. "I'd better end this quickly." He heard a loud voice calling out to him. "Huh?

"Come on out! I know you're here somewhere!" Diana yelled.

"She must be almost out too if she's trying something like this." Kai chuckled to himself. Kai took aim. "Still…" He locked on to Diana's head. "No excuse for stupidity." Kai let the arrow fly.

Diana heard the arrow whistling through the air and immediately fired another arrow in response. The two of them connected and burst into flame.

"Another fire arrow? She needs to learn some new tricks." Kai said. Taking out another arrow.

Diana took aim at where the arrow had come from and sprayed the area with fire arrows. "This had better work, I'm on my last two clips." She muttered. Kai leapt out of the shadows and launched another arrow, barely scratching the leather pad on Diana's leg.

"Crap!" He said as he landed and readied his second to last arrow. He took aim and fired again. This time Diana was too slow to react. The arrow lodged itself in her chest and she fell backward.

"Damn!" She fell back as pain shot out across her body. She pointed her crossbow in Kai's general direction and emptied her clip, turning the area were Kai was standing into ash.

"That should do it." As Kai rolled out of the way.

"Damn it!" Diana yelled as she yanked the arrow out of her chest, a little blood went with it. She struggled and got up to her feet, darting towards the nearest rock for cover. "This isn't good…" She said slamming her last clip into place and looking at the wound in her chest.

Kai pulled out his final arrow. "Now to finish the job." Kai said wiping some dirt off his cheek.

Diana tried to get up and move, but the pain kept her from doing so. _"Crap crap crap!"_ She yelled in her head.

"finally got you!" As Kai aimed his arrow, something drew his attention, he aimed away from Diana and shot his arrow.

Diana heard the arrow snap as it was swatted out of the air.

"Ah, ah , ah! We'll have none of that now!" Vulcan said as he grinned down on Kai and Diana. Triad stood behind him. "Well what do we have here? Long time no see girl." Vulcan said.

Toran was blasted backward, tumbling down a steep hill made of fallen rocks. He grabbed a small chunk of wood to stop his fall. "Ngh… crazy little…." Toran looked up and saw Sera descending from where he just fell. Thinking a fall would be better than getting skewered, he let go and let himself roll down to the lower level.

"Damn!" Sera plucked her spear out of the ground and chased after Toran who started running. "Coward!" She fired thunder bolts his way as she pursued.

Toran continued to run, using the destroyed debris for cover and to throw off sera's aiming. "It's a legitimate strategy!" He called back in a taunting tone. He looked forward and stopped. Immediately, Toran shifted behind a boulder and saw 2 armored figures. "What's going on here?" he whispered to himself. He saw Vulcan holding someone by the neck and another person under his boot. He looked closer and began to recognize them. "Isn't that that visor guy from sidhe sneachta? But who's…Diana!" He said. As Toran dashed ahead of the boulder, it was smashed to bits as Sera attacked. "Huh?"

"Damn, I missed…" She muttered. Noticing the two armored figures in the background, Sera looked away from Toran. "What the… Kai!"

"More of them? Saves us the trouble of hunting them down." Vulcan grinned turning his head away from Kai. Seeing that vulcan was distracted, Kai pulled out his dagger and plunged in into the vulnerable spot that allowed Vulcan's elbow to move. "gyahh!" Vulcan let go, pulling the dagger out. Kai landed and kicked vulcan off Diana, sending him skidding away. Kai turned around and brought his dagger up in a defensive position as Triad attempted to retaliate. He was promptly knocked aside by Sera.

"Look out!" Toran yelled. Kai and Sera turned around and saw vulcan right behind them. He was soon blasted into the wall by Toran. Sera and Kai looked at him. "I consider these guys more of a problem than you so do you mind helping me out here?" Toran knelt next to Diana, examining the wound on her chest. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It isn't that serious, I should have her fixed up in not time." He cracked his fingers. "Can you guys hold them off for me?" Toran asked. Kai and Sera looked at each other and then nodded. Kai turned to Triad and Sera turned to Vulcan. "We'll help you out soon." Toran assured them.

"_So… This is all that was recovered from our assault on the manor?" a cloaked man said, staring at ceez's corpse._

"_Yes… Morgant managed to save this one before he got too mutilated. Our other projects involved mangled and dismembered corpses, we should be able to create something useful with this one." another man said. _

"_A corpse is a corpse, how is this one going to be any different? So what if it's better preserved?" the first man said._

"_If there's no difference then there shouldn't be any problem." the second one replied. Nodding in agreement, one of them grabbed a scalpel and cut into ceez's flesh._

Ceez blocked Sol's attack and pushed him away. "So you even sunk so low as to become a dark knight huh Sol?"

"**Like you're one to talk!"** Sol replied as he rushed in for another attack.

"At least you had a choice!" Ceez repelled him and turned to Soma, blocking his strike as he did so.

"_Damn it!"_ Soma thought in his head. _"This isn't any better than before! I need to narrow down the number of combatants."_ Soma took a quick glance to the side and saw Shaosu and his previous opponent going at it. "_I guess I can't ask _him_ for help…"_ Soma thought as be blocked another attack from ceez.

The three combatant's blades whirled around them, creating several scars along the rocks and fallen debris. "Why." Ceez blocked Sol's katana and used his sword to guide Sol's strike into the ground. Ceez stomped down on it for good measure. "Won't." Soma attacked from behind but ceez blocked just in time. Ceez kicked Soma into the wall. "You." Ceez whipped around and placed his palm on Sol's face. "Die!" Sol was blasted backward by a wave of dark energy. Ceez walked over to Sol, who's armor began to dissolve. "Of all the people I knew at that place…You were the one person I thought couldn't be tainted. The one person that wouldn't be taken in by the darkness…I guess nothing's impossible huh?" Ceez said. He looked over at Soma's uncurious form. "I guess he won't be getting up any time soon." Ceez turned back to Soma and grabbed him by the neck. "I had hoped this would end more fittingly for someone like you but I guess this'll do." As Ceez squeezed, Sol's eyes burst open, a yellow glow emanating from the center. "What!?" Ceez was blown back by a shockwave of energy.

"**Been a while since I last took over… Not quite as wild as before but I'll take it."** Vice said, cracking his neck. **"Now that Sol is temporarily out of commission, lets take things up a notch."** Vice held out his hand and Sol's Katana unhinged itself out of the ground and flew into vice's grip. Vice transformed into a fully armored chaos knight. **"Hm… I intended for infra black… I guess the little guy still has some fight left in him."** Vice shrugged. **"No matter… it's still more than what I need for the likes of you." **Vice taunted.

Quari blocked Shaosu's strike and elbowed him in the gut. As Shaosu lurched forward Quari kicked him in the chest. "Come on! I haven't even transformed yet!" Quari taunted.

Shaosu struggled to get up. "Get it together…" He told himself. Shaosu pulled out his claymore and channeled as much energy he could muster, lightning and flames arced around the blade. "I'm nowhere near finished…" Shaosu swung his sword and sent a wave of lightning towards Quari. Quari sidestepped and darted forward. Shaosu attempted to slash across Quari's shoulder but was too slow. Quari knocked the claymore out of his hands and slashed across Shaosu's chest, the blood sprayed across the ground. Shaosu grabbed at his chest and fell backward.

"Endgame!" Quari raised his two swords and brought them down. A wave of energy appeared from the side and knocked his blades out of his hands.

Ceez blocked vice's initial attack and pushed him back. Ceez stabbed forward but his blade was knocked out of the way. _"What the hell happened!? It's like he's a completely different person now!" _Ceez thought as he continued to dodge and counter Vice's attacks.

"**Gotta say… this whole thing is starting to feel a little drawn out."** Vice said slashing at Ceez's shoulder, chipping off a piece of his armor. **"Maybe it's about time we ended this."**

As vice stabbed forward, Ceez sidestepped at an angle. As he turned he saw Shaosu struggling to get up as Quari slashed down with his blades. Ceez kneed Vice's arm upwards and slashed a wave of energy at Quari.

As the blades flew to the side, Quari's face had a shocked expression. Shaosu managed to get up and pick up one of the duel swords that he had dropped. Quari looked at Shaosu in the eye and felt a stabbing pain in his chest as Shaosu drove his gladius into his chest. Quari looked to his right and saw Ceez. "D-damn…it…" Shaosu twisted the blade and pulled it out.

"Eat that…" Shaosu said as Quari fell to the ground. Shaosu clutched his chest and slumped back against the wall.

"_Syl…vin…a…" _Quari though sorrowfully as he closed his eyes.

Sylvina felt a chill rund down her spine and looked into the distance. "Quari…" She said with a worried tone. Nao saw her chance and slammed her staff into Sylvina's gut, sending her skidding across the floor.

Without pause, Nao darted off in the direction Sylvina looked, feeling a similar chill run down her spine. "Shaosu…"

Vice gave a low whistle. **"Gotta hand it to ya, takes real guts to stab your comrade in the back like that. I wonder how the higher ups will take it."** Vice said jokingly. **"Now then… Where were we?"** Vice said, taking a combat stance.

Ceez turned to face him, a determined look on his face. "Let's end this."

Diana's vision was blurred as she was being woken up. As her vision cleared, she saw Toran smiling down at her. "Welcome back." He said.

"What's going on?" Diana looked around and saw that Sera and Kai were fighting Vulcan and Triad respectively. She started to sit up but was immediately shoved down as an icicle shot over both her and Toran.

"We're in a bit of a tight spot right now, so you might want to be a little more careful." Toran said.

"Why are they helping us?" She asked.

"Lets just say that we rearranged our priorities." Toran replied. "Can you stand?" Diana nodded. "Can you fight?"

Diana clutched her crossbow but remembered that she spent her last clip. "I'm out." She said.

Toran grinned and pulled out 3 canisters of his own. "I'm not sure if they work as effectively as the ones you made, but I figured that I should give it a try." Diana smiled back and took all three clips. She slammed one into place and stood up. "Don't forget to share…" Toran said in a teasing tone, picking up his staff.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Diana replied, turning to Kai's direction. "Let's get started!" She said.

Kai parried and dodged Triad's attacks, each dodged getting more difficult as Triad split into his three forms. "persistent little…" Kai ducked as one of Triad's copies stabbed forward. Kai thrust forward with his dagger and nicked him in the side. "Damn." kai cursed when he saw that he only made a shallow hit. Kai rolled back as , more slashes came. As Kai readied his sword, one of the Triads was kicked to the side.

"Having some trouble?" Diana said grinning.

"What are you…" Before Kai could finish, a small canister was tossed in front of him.

"Use these." Diana said and aimed her crossbow. "Now who's next!?" She called out.

"Just so you know…" Kai opened the canister and strung it on his bow as he stood up. "…This changes nothing." Kai and Diana stood back to back and took aim.

Vulcan raised his sword and blocked the fireballs launched by Toran and Sera. As the two of them channeled another round of spells, Vulcan charged forward and swung at both of them, interrupting the process. "That's the problem with mages nowadays. Just not enough time." Vulcan taunted. Sera and Toran attacked him with both their weapons but stuck the ground as Vulcan leaped into the air. "Nice try!" Vulcan slashed down as he descended, jamming Toran's staff into the ground and shattering part of Sera's spear.

"Damn!" Toran said, leaping back as Vulcan attempted to back fist him, forcing him to let go of his staff. Sera managed to yank her spear out, but it was more or less useless without it's steel head.

Sera charged forward with her spear/pole and attacked Vulcan with wide swings. Toran channeled a lightning and an ice spell in each hand and shot forward. Vulcan punched his right hand forward and froze a portion of Vulcan's armor, he punched his left hand forward and shattered a hole through the frozen part of the armor. Fire began to arc around Toran's hands and he punched both of them forward, into the newly opened hole in Vulcan's armor. Vulcan felt his back beginning to burn and forced Sera away and dashed forward so that Toran's hands were no longer in his armor. He looked at the portion of his armor that was punctured and winced as he felt the burn mark that was on him. "Sloppy…." Vulcan criticized himself.

"I forgot how fast he was…" Toran muttered, remembering Vulcan's furious attack when they fought in Dunbarton. An image of Cleo smiling at him appeared in his head right after. Toran clenched his teeth with renewed rage. A cold mist surrounded his hand and formed an ice sword. Toran cried out as he charged at Vulcan. Toran stabbed his ice blade forward only to have it shattered as vulcan brought his sword up and blocked it. Toran let go of the broken weapon and flames appeared on his palm. He attempted to press it on Vulcan's face but was, once again blocked. A wrenching pain shot through Toran's body as Vulcan punched him in the gut and sent him flying back. Vulcan's grin soon contorted into agony as Sera plunged her broken spear into the hole in his armor, shattering some of his ribs.

"Gahhh!" Vulcan staggered backward and glared at Sera and Toran, some blood began to trail down his chin. He glanced over to the side and saw one of Triad's copies being defeated, several arrows stuck to it's back. _"Damn it! Why are we losing to these maggots?!"_ Vulcan screamed in his head. _"Did they get stronger… or did I…?"_ Vulcan looked down and began to tremble. _"NO! No I won't accept this! I won't! I won't! I won't! I won't!" _Vulcan looked up and prepared to strike when a booming voice rang in his head.

"_**Enough! This has become a battle of attrition! Retreat for now!"**_ Morgant's voice boomed in Vulcan's mind.

"Retreat? Now!?" Vulcan yelled. Sera and Toran looked at each other in confusion. "But that's not how it's supposed to go…" Vulcan muttered in disappointment. He looked at Triad who had just lost another clone, leaving only the original left. "Triad, Let's go!"

Vulcan disappeared in a cloud of darkness and reappeared behind Triad.

"Yes sir." Triad stood next to Vulcan.

"Wait a second!" Kai yelled. He and Diana fired several arrows at the two only to have them pass through.

"As much as I'd love to finish this, orders are orders." Vulcan said with a grim look on his face, the darkness engulfing him and Triad.

Diana sat down on the ground, exhausted while Kai simply glared at the spot that Vulcan and Triad were just standing. "Damn It!" He took off his visor and slammed it on the ground.

"Big brother!" Sylvina found Quari lying face down in a pool of his own blood and Shaosu slumped against the wall, a gash across his chest. "Quari, say something!" Sylvina knelt by her brother's side and carefully turned him over, the wound was more serious than she thought. "Oh no…" She stared wide eyed at her brother's stomach, the blood oozing out. She felt for a pulse and checked for breathing. There was nothing. "No…no, no, no…" She said with a trembling voice, her hand stroking his cold cheeks. She looked over her shoulder at Shaosu when she heard a coughing noise. Shaosu was breathing and coughing, his grand grasped at the wound on his chest. Sylvina glared at him. "Why should you live…when my brother didn't?" She took out her knife and walked towards Shaosu, tears streaming down her face. As she raised her knife, Vulcan and Triad appeared behind her.

"Sylvina, we have orders to…whoah… what the hell happened here?" Vulcan said. "And what are you doing?" He asked Triad as he searched Quari's body for something, pulling a small medallion out. "What do we have here…?"

"Morgant told me to retrieve this if something were to occur." Triad said holding up the medallion up so that the others could see. A strange inscription was carved on it.

"What is it?" Vulcan asked.

"I wasn't told. They just told me to retrieve it." Triad replied just before a black tentacle shot out and pierced his chest. "What the…" Triad spurted out as the tentacle dug into him.

"Triad!" Vulcan yelled. The tentacle quickly pulled out of Triad's chest, taking the medallion with it. Vulcan followed it and saw Sol/Vice holding out his arm as the tentacle receded back into him. He also saw ceez, seemingly unconscious, beaten into the wall.

"**Are you sure you don't want me to finish the others off? We'll have to do so eventually." **Vice said, seemingly to himself. After a pause, he spoke again. **"All right, All right, I get what you're saying. I'll focus on these guys for now."** Vice set his sights on Vulcan and Sylvina.

"Damn!" Vulcan quickly picked up Triad and Quari and summoned another dark cloud. "Let's go!" Vulcan yelled.

"But…" Sylvina protested and looked at Vice as he rushed forward. "Rghhh… Fine!" She followed Vulcan as he went through the portal.

Vice's blade struck the ground as he slashed at them. **"Damn, I guess that last fight took more out of me than I thought."** Vice commented. **"Oh shut up."** He said. **"So what's next?"** Vice paused. **"What? Now?… Oh alright, I've guess I had enough time out here anyway. I'll let you take over."** Vice closed his eyes. When they opened, they changed from yellow to blue.

Sol shook his head and rubbed his temple. He looked in his left hand and saw the medallion that Triad had been holding. "What's this?" He said. He looked at Shaosu and then at ceez, then at Soma. "Thanks for the tip, Tarlach…" Sol said sarcastically, remembering the brown fomor pass to Barri dungeon. Sol staggered off and headed off to find his friends.

Ceez grunted and slowly got up. He looked around and focused on Shaosu slumped against the wall. He went over to Shaosu and used a healing spell to stop the bleeding. "That should keep you going for now." Ceez reached into his pocked and pulled out a medallion similar to what Quari had. "This should help out." Ceez said and placed it in Shaosu's hand. He heard a crumbling sound and looked to see Nao appear out of a corner. "Relax, I didn't do this." He walked over to her. "You two take care now." Ceez said, disappearing through his own dark cloud.

Nao glanced at him and knelt down next to Shaosu. "Shaosu! Shaosu! Are you alright?" Nao saw that his wounds were healed and shook him. Shaosu's eyes fluttered open.

"Ngh…What's going on? Shaosu rubbed his head only to hit himself with the medallion ceez gave him. "Ow… What the hell?" He looked at the medallion. "What's this?"

"I don't know, I'm guessing ceez gave it to you. He just left." Nao said.

"What? Then what happened to…" Shaosu looked and saw Sol was gone and Soma struggling to get up. "Captain!" Shaosu and Nao rushed to help him.

"So what now?" Toran asked. He and Diana sat on one side while Kai and Sera where on the other. "Should we just part ways here?" Toran asked.

"That would probably be the best course of action. You guys are basically wanted criminals." sera said. "But I have to ask. Why do you follow Sol? He murdered The captain's sister in cold blood. He's a killer!" Sera asked.

"Well…" Diana started but couldn't find the words. Shortly after Sol explained his story, The group had unofficially promised not to reveal the information unless Sol said otherwise. "I…I can't say." Diana said. "But he's not the kind of person you think he is! He wouldn't do anything like…"

"Murder." Kai finished. Diana stayed silent.

"Sounds like you really care about him." Sera commented, causing Diana to blush slightly and look away. Sera giggled. "Forget about it. Should we get going?" Sera said standing up.

"I suppose so. We owe you guys one for helping us." Kai said, examining his now cracked visor. An awkward silence filled the air. "I suppose that's it for now." Kai said, standing up. He and Sera started to head off towards the other side of the room. "Listen, don't get the wrong idea." Kai stated. "I don't really have a serious grudge against you two, or that Sol guy. But if our captain insists on hunting him down, and you insist on helping him… We **will** be enemies again." Kai stated. Sera and Kai darted off.

Soon, Sol came rushing out of the rubble nearby. "Hey!" He waved at them. "what happened here?" He asked examining the damage around the area.

"We'll tell you about it later but for now we should focus on an escape route." Toran said "do you have any of those goddess wings?" Toran asked. Sol shook his head. Toran thought for a moment and saw the medallion. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure, Vice just grabbed it when he took over." Sol said.

"what?!" Diana exclaimed. "You let him take over?"

"It's more controlled than before. The first few times were just random outbursts of him trying to escape. I've managed to work out a compromise." Sol assured them. Toran and Diana gave him a concerned look.

"Are you sure about this?" Diana asked. Sol nodded.

"Anyway, back to the medallion." Toran said. "Why do you think Vice grabbed it?" He questioned.

"I don't know, I haven't really paid a lot of attention to…" As Sol looked at it, he noticed an inscription in the center. "Dul Brau Dairam Shanon." Sol read the words out loud.

"The heck does that mean?" Diana asked. Sol shrugged.

"Well, we'll have to figure it out after we find a way out." Toran chimed in. He began to examine the area around him. The whole room was probably even more destroyed than when the upper level first collapsed. If there were any entrances they could use, they were probably blocked by fallen rocks. There was no way they could dig out, and the only other exits were where the previous floor used to be. Toran then realized something. He pulled out a small pocket book and flipped through it, furiously.

"What is that?" Diana asked.

"A small journal I made. It has a quick list that has spells that are useful in these kinds of situations." Toran replied.

"Why haven't you told us this before?" Sol asked.

"Firstly, I didn't really see much of a need to before. Secondly, I couldn't say anything under the heat of battle. And lastly, I've never tried a teleportation spell from within a dungeon _and_ with more than one person." Toran said. "Add that to the fact that I'm almost entirely out of energy means that either the spell won't work or I'll screw up somehow and we'll end up inside out when the spell is done." Toran finished. "Aha! Found it." Sol and Diana exchanged concerned looks.

"Can't you use a dark portal like the dark knights?" Diana asked.

"If I could, I wouldn't need the goddess wings. For some reason, Vice can't use those abilities. I can't tell if he's seriously being affected by the seals or if he's just being difficult. I'd believe either one at this point." Sol said, examining the markings on his arms.

"Then I guess we have no choice then." Diana said.

"All right! Let's get started. First off I need you two to stand here and then…"

"Easy there, the wounds are healed but you still need to rest." Nao said as she finished healing Soma's wounds.

"Damn it…I let him get away again!" Soma slammed his fist down against a boulder, cracking it slightly. "And on top of it all, Ceez has appeared as a black knight…" Soma clenched his teeth. "How could I have let things get this far out of hand…?" Soma muttered.

"This isn't your fault. How could you have possibly prevented this." Nao reassured him.

Shaosu looked and saw Sera and Kai approaching. "Hey! Over here!" He waved them over. "What happened to you guys?" Shaosu asked upon seeing their beaten up appearances."

"Well… You probably won't like it" Kai said scratching the back of his head.

**30 min. later**

"WHAT!?" Soma yelled. "You just let them go!?" Soma yelled.

"Well what was I supposed to do!?" Kai protested. "Did you want to say: 'Hey, thanks for helping us fight the dark knights! You're under arrest now!" Kai said in mock enthusiasm.

Soma fell silent, fining no reply. "Damn it!" He said again. "Whatever, let's just find a way out of here."

"I might be able to teleport us somewhere." Nao said.

"teleport us to Emain Macha… we need to find a healer quickly and I don't think that bangor has one." Soma said.

"All right then." A flash of light exploded on the other side of the room where Sol and the others were.

"What was that?" Shaosu asked.

"It's probably Sol's group and, if they're smart, they're probably teleporting as far away from here as they can.

"That's it then. Take us to Agnes. It's not like we haven't dropped in unannounced before." Soma ordered.

"A-all right then." Nao knelt down and concentrated, all five of them were soon engulfed in a bright light.

_____________(haven't seen one of these lines in a while, huh?)___________________

**Unknown location**

Vulcan looked down at Triad's and Quari's bodies, both of them had bled to death. He then looked up at the sky, the birds flying through the clouds "Damn it… I didn't anticipate anything like this." Vulcan muttered. He glanced over at Sylvina who was still looking off into the distance, the tear marks still visible on her chocolate colored skin. Vulcan felt a pang of guilt in that his last conversation with Quari was an exchange of insults. He then looked at Ceez who, after all that's happened, was sitting down, looking at the sky and eating a chocolate bar that he was probably saving. He walked over. "I'd say eating that stuff is bad for your health but… you know." Vulcan said.

Ceez gave him an apathetic look and looked toward the sky again. "Was that your attempt at a joke? If it was, it wasn't that good." Ceez said.

"What happens now?" Sylvina cut in.

"We head back to base, we need to decide who will take Quari's place now that he's dead." Vulcan said. _"Like it wasn't made completely obvious already."_ He said in his head. Without saying a word to each other, the three of them buried Triad and Quari, and left for home.

* * *

**Bangor**

An orb of light gathered and focused in Bangor's town square. It expanded and grew more luminescent as time passed. Soon it dissipated, revealing three travelers.

"Where are we?" Sol said looking around. Seeing the shocked faces of the townspeople as they looked on. "What are you guys looking at?" Sol said.

"We just appeared in an orb of light, cut them some slack." Diana said.

"I teleported us back into town, I didn't have enough energy to get much farther than this.

"It's fine." Sol got up and examined the medallion again. _"I feel like I've seen this inscription before."_ Sol thought. Aching pains shot through his body and caused him kneel down.

"Are you okay!?" Diana said in a concerned tone. "We should find a place to rest before we do anything else." Diana suggested.

"Agreed. We should head to the Inn we were in last time. We can ask around about the medallion tomorrow." Toran said.

"Yeah… could one of you guys help me up?" Sol asked.

Dian and Toran each took an arm and slung in over their shoulders, helping Sol limp along towards the Inn.

* * *

**Somewhere in the wilderness**

Lydia weaved her way through the trees and roots that littered the road she and Rudi were traveling on. "I don't remember this place being this thick with foliage." She said. Rudi simply grunted in response. Before long they soon reached a towering gate, a pure white wall stretched around on both sides in a circular shape. "Are you ready for this?" Lydia asked. Rudi nodded. "Well, Rudi… Welcome home." Lydia proceeded pound the knocker on the gate.

* * *

GOOD GOD did this take long. I apologize for those who waited and I would like to declare the Hiatus semi-over. Why semi? Well I have no Idea when I'll be able to work on the next chapter or how long it will take me to finish. How's that for a downer?

Anyway, If you forgot, I said that I'd start posting some profiles of minor characters who I don't think I'll be able to flesh out properly in the main story so here goes.

**Quari**: A young man with a slight inferiority complex. He always saw himself as the underdog, someone who didn't receive any high expectations from anyone. Thus, he always does whatever he can to rise through the ranks as a way of reaffirming his self worth. The only other person who really stood by him was his sister whom he cares deeply for. Other than this there isn't much to say about him. He had an average life up until he was about 16. He and his sister drifted from place to place, working dead end job after dead end job. He found the work too tedious and easy for his tastes and decided to do something drastic. He had joined the black knights, seeing the Paladin's as too uptight for what he intended. He thrived under the pressure and the expectations that were placed on him and so many others. With the black knights, he was finally able to prove himself _to_ himself. His sister, of course, followed him down this path and supported him along the way, becoming his lieutenant in the process.

**Triad**: This guy had a much more eventful and slightly disturbing back story compared to Quari. He was one of three identical triplets and lived with a very wealthy family until he was about 18. His father had made very poor financial decisions that had caused them to go into bankruptcy. His father died in a mugging and his mother died of a disease. Penniless and living on the streets, Triad and his two brothers turned to the dark arts in an act of desperation. They tried to use the fomors to help them get ahead but ended up botching a summoning. In the end, Triad's two siblings were killed and had their souls merged with his. Triad soon found that he had the ability to split himself into three copies. Interested in his abilities, he was recruited into the Black knights and was assigned as Vulcan's subordinate. The two got along surprisingly well and some of their colleagues remarked that they seemed like a comedy duo when they weren't in combat.

As one last bit of trivia, I made up Triad's back story right when he appeared. He was intended to be just some random drunk but I decided to put a little bit more work into it. Now I kinda feel bad that these characters died so suddenly, but what can you do?

Now I wish to ask you guys who your favorite characters are out of the ones I've made? This is partly because I think it's kind of pathetic to have 13 reviews and only one guy responsible for 12 of them and the other one being a mention of one of my, no doubt, numerous grammar mistakes, and that I want to get a sense on what everyone else thinks about my story.

And, Godofmadness43, I have a pretty good Idea who _your _favorite is so pick a different guy other than you-know-who. (If it's not who I think it is, then sorry for sounding like a smart-ass)

Until next time!


	14. Chapter 14

And now we have number 14. I feel like Lydia's and Rudi's story was a HUGE cliché. That being said, I would like to express thanks for all of you who have stuck with this story so far.

* * *

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 14: Medallion**

"_And the winner is… Sera!" Called the referee. A large group had gathered in the Paladin training grounds for combat practice. A group of students had decided to form a mini tournament by practicing in the ring. When it was Sera's turn to fight, she hadn't lost once._

_She smiled triumphantly and loosened the grip on her wooden staff when she realized she had won. She as she listened to one of the students remarking about a "new personal record". Her attention was then caught by a young man, about 16, that she hadn't noticed until now._

"_Isn't that the new guy?" One of the students asked._

"_I think so… I kinda feel sorry for him. Sera is one of the best combatants we have out here."_

_Sera examined the boy in front of her. His hair was short, but was long enough to cover his eyes if he bent his head down low enough. It was colored charcoal black and his eyes were an unsettling red color. He gave her an emotionless look that hinted at a horrible experience in his life. Sere pushed these thoughts out of the way when she saw him take a combat stance, grasping a sword in his right hand. Sera responded in kind. _

"_Soma, what are you doing?" A young man with spiky silver hair called from the sidelines. Unlike the boy in front of him, she knew this one. She had him in three of her classes and remembered his name as Kai. Pushing these thoughts out of her mind, she readied her staff. Time seemed to slow down as the two of them rushed each other. She saw him duck as she swung her staff and slashed upward. She knew he held a wooden blade but for some reason, felt a real one cut through her leather pads, blood squirting on her face._

"_And the winner is… the new guy?" The referee said in an astonished tone. Everyone stared wide eyed in the sparring ring, Kai had a gaping mouth. Sera found herself lying on her back, with no wounds. She looked at her staff which was cut, or more like smashed, in two. The tips of each segment were splintered and bent. She sat up and looked at Soma, The tip of his wooden blade was flatted and a part of it was dented, likely from when he smashed the staff. Sera looked at her leather pad which had small splinters in a diagonal line. _"That explains the flattened tip…"_ she thought.. She stood up and held out her hand. Soma turned and walked right past her, not even looking back. He exited the ring and headed for the main building. Kai went after him, calling his name._

_She turned and glared in his direction. _"You arrogant little…!"_ Sera thought in her head. She turned and left in the opposite direction, grunting in frustration._

* * *

**Agnes's House, upper room**

Sera stared out the window, the sunlight illuminating the white cobblestone streets of Emain Macha. She turned and saw soma flipping through a random book he picked up off the shelf, Kai was sitting on a stool looking board. Shaosu and Nao had decided to get some rest at his house.

"so you said you were here before?" Kai asked. "I mean, before you joined the academy." He clarified. Soma nodded, not taking his eyes of the book. "Did uh…anything 'interesting' happen?" Kai asked with a sly tone. Soma simply shook his head. Kai shrugged, loudly. "You're no fun at all…" Kai said leaning backwards on the stool, using the wall to support his back.

All three of them looked to the doorway as Agnes came in with a tray. 3 cups of fresh tea rested on it's surface. "are we doing all right?" She asked. Everyone replied with a yes. She passed out the tea, taking a little extra time to talk with Soma. She was a little more merry in doing so than what one would expect. Sera scowled but made sure the others didn't see it. When Agnes left, she got up as well.

"Did you finish the report of the events that happened in Barri?" Sera asked Kai.

"Just did last night." Kai reached into his bag and pulled out a moderately thick packet of papers. He handed to Sera.

"I'll take it to HQ, do any of you need anything?" Sera said to everyone but was looking at Soma who was still buried in his book. She saw Kai trying to read over his shoulder. When she received no reply, she took it as a no. _"I can never tell what that man is thinking."_ She exited the room and closed the door. _"I probably never will"_

* * *

**Paladin training academy, random hallway, roughly 5 and a half years ago**

_Sera bit her thumb as she walked along the hall. A few people waved high to her in the hall but she ignored them. All she could focus on was Soma. She wasn't mad at the fact that she lost. Even though she never had a single defeat, she had enough close calls in the practice ring to know that she wasn't unbeatable. No, the infuriating part wasn't the loss, it was how Soma didn't even acknowledge her after the match, how he seemed to consider her so beneath him that he didn't even acknowledge her. He looked like he didn't even realize she was there, like he could pass right through her if he was only a few steps to the left. "That arrogant…" Sera muttered. She then heard a voice down the hall, and soon recognized it as Kai's voice. She walked forward, speeding up as she went along, and stopped at the corner. She peeked around to see Kai and Soma talking to one another. (actually, it was more like Kai complaining to Soma about proper etiquette)_

"_Do you think you're cool with this whole 'I don't give a crap about what others think so I'll do what I want' attitude?" Kai said. Sol simply leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, letting him vent. "I know that you've had it…uh… pretty rough… recently, but that doesn't mean you can just brush people off like that." Kai continued. "I mean if you're going to function in the real world, especially with this line of work, you're gonna have to let people in." Kai finished. Soma opened his eyes and looked at the ground with what seemed like reflectance. His gaze sharpened as he shot a glance at Sera who was spying over from around the corner. She quickly darted out of view._

"_See? You already have a stalker. And not the fun kind like those shy chicks who have a crush one you. The kind that want to kill you for making an ass out of yourself." Kai said in a joking tone. _

_Soma stood up and turned to walk away. "Just let people in." Soma said in a mocking tone. "That's easy for someone in your position to say to someone like me." Soma said turning back to face him._

"_Someone in my position?" Kai inquired._

"_Someone who's always lived it easy. Someone who hasn't lost anything significant. Who hasn't had everything he ever held dear ripped from his grasp without so much as a warning!" Soma yelled. "The last person I "let in" stabbed me and my sister in the back. In a more literal sense than I'd like to admit." Soma said. Kai simply looked away. Soma stared at him for a while and then turned back around and walked on. He bumped into Sera, who had likely heard everything he said, around the corner. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself and continued to walk._

_Sera watched him go and looked at him in a way that was more concerned rather than angry. She remembered what he had said about his sister. "Did he mean she was killed?" Sera wondered out loud._

"_That's basically the gist of it." Kai said from behind her. Sera jumped back in surprise. "By his best friend too…man, what is this world coming to?" Kai asked. "Can't really argue with him. I can't possibly imagine what he went through, I don't know what I'd do if one my siblings died." Kai said thinking about his older brother and younger sister. _

_Sera briefly wondered why he was speaking to her about this but continued on with the conversation anyway. "That still doesn't give him the right to just do as he pleases." Sera commented._

"_True that." Kai said grinning. "But still, cut him some slack. For what it's worth, I think he really does want to apologize. He's just too proud to do it." Kai said. The two said their goodbyes and walked in opposite directions down the hall._

* * *

**Emain Macha, Street**

"I never thought that I'd end up as his subordinate." Sera thought to herself. "Just shows what fate the gods will throw at you." She joked to herself. She sped up her walk as she headed to hand in her report.

* * *

**Bangor**

"Are you certain? You don't know anything about this?" Sol asked Comgan who looked unsettlingly like a younger version of himself.

"Yes, I've never seen this description before. Try asking other priests. Meven in Tir Chonail might know something about it." Comgan said.

Sol's eye twitched. _"This constant backtracking is getting REALLY annoying. It's like I'm some kids ball being knocked back and forth across a field, never reaching the goal of either side."_ Sol thought to himself as Toran and Diana thanked Comgan for the info. The three of them walked across town, asking the occasional pedestrian about their medallion. Eventually, after 33 people saying "I don't Know" Sol gave up and led the others to the nearby pub.

"This could be bad." Toran said. "The only way to Tir chonail from here is through Dunbarton and that place is loaded with guards right now." The three of them sat at a table in the center, several other adventurers were around them, talking, laughing and relaxing.

"Can't we just keep to the outskirts like we always do? Or what about teleporting?" Sol suggested.

"I doubt the same trick will work twice. I'll bet they stationed guards farther out than last time and we'll probably get lost along the way if we try to avoid them." Toran speculated. "As for teleporting, I'll need to rest up a bit before we can try anything like that, plus I'm not sure how far I can take us in one cast." Toran said.

"What about wax goddess wings?" Diana asked.

"I don't have any remember? And I doubt any shops are selling them." Sol said. The three of them just sat there, each in their own thoughts. "The way I see it…" Sol started. "The best course of action is to wait till Toran can teleport us again and then continue on foot from there if he didn't teleport us straight into the town itself." Sol explained. The others agreed, not having any better ideas of their own.

"Why don't you…just ask Vice?" Toran suggested.

"What?" Diana said.

"Think about it." Toran replied. "If the inscription is in fomor language then Vice, being a fomor spirit, should be able to-" Before Toran could finish, Sol interrupted him.

"I'd prefer to not rely on him too much when outside of combat. I have a feeling that the more I use him, the less control I have over him." Sol said. _"Besides… It's partially because of him that I was set on this path in the first place."_ Sol thought bitterly to himself.

**Later that night**

Sol sat on a bench outside the door to the Inn the three of them were staying in. He looked up at the stars, admiring how brightly they can shine. His eyes scanned the night sky, as if he was judging each and every section in a contest. He soon rested his gaze on the crescent moon. A sad expression on his face. He remembered how he and Luna would occasionally sit in the courtyard of the Manor at night and just gaze up, not saying anything. He looked to his side and, for a brief instant, saw Luna sitting there beside him. She turned to him and smiled warmly, coining some kind of phrase or metaphor she may have read out of a book. He looked back at the moon and reached his hand out to it, as if he could pluck it right out of the sky.

One of Luna's phrases drifted into his thoughts. _"It doesn't matter what your past is like. You have to focus on what happening right now. Dream of the past when you have time, and the future can wait just a little bit longer. Focus on what's in front of you, focus on the ones that need you."_ Sol chuckled. "Focus on what's happening now…" Sol's outstretched palm curled into a fist. He remembered Soma's friendly smile, and then his hateful glare. He remembered Ceez fighting him in the Dungeon. "How the hell am I supposed to do that…when so many ghosts keep haunting me!?" He slammed his fist into the wall. He looked up at the moon, with an almost desperate look. "Luna… why did it…have to be us?" Sol looked at the moon a little longer and walked inside and up the stairs. As he passed Diana's room, her door swung open. Sol turned and looked at Diana. "You heard that, huh?" He said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"I'll bet half the neighborhood heard it. You weren't exactly subtle." She said in a slightly teasing tone. Her look then grew more compassionate. "Sol… Just know that… We're her to help you, _I'm_ here to help you." Diana said, smiling. They both stayed silent, the moment becoming a little awkward.

"Hey!" Toran called from inside his room. "Save it for tomorrow love birds! I'd like to get some rest before I teleport us halfway across the continent." Toran called.

"He's right, we should probably head to bed." Sol turned to face his door. As he walked in, he looked at Diana. "Thanks for the pep-talk." He shut his door.

"Anytime." Diana smiled and did the same.

**Elsewhere**

A large, white, stone wall extended through the forest in a circular pattern, surrounding a semi large town within. The Trees and the Mountain obscured it from view from all who were more than a few yards from it's front gates. The design was foreign to the continent it was located on and had a foreboding presence to it.

Lydia banged on the door several times. "Hey!! Anybody home!?" She banged even harder. "Hey, Rudi! Give me a hand with this!" Lydia called. Rudi grunted and walked over to the huge gate. It was easily 3 times Rudi's height. "After all these years I still don't see why we need this huge a gate… I mean, even most Giants don't need a gate that huge!" Lydia complained.

Rudi cracked his fingers and neck and took a steady stance. "Hrrgghhaahhh!" Rudi Punched at the door, sending vibrations across the wall. A short pause. Before Lydia could continue yelling, another yell interrupted her.

"Who goes there?" came a faint voice from up on top of the wall. Lydia and Rudi looked up to see another Elf lightly clad in steel armor, his face obscured by a helmet. She waved up at him. "It's me, Lydia!" She called.

The man pulled out a small telescope to get a better look. "Oh my god…" He said when he saw Lydia waving at him. "O-open the gates! Open the gates!" He yelled to others who were past the wall. The gates rumbled as they were opened from the other side. The man on top of the wall rushed to a nearby ladder and quickly climbed down. He rushed over to the Giant and the Elf that had just came through. "Lydia! Rudi! Is that really you!?" The man tore off his helmet, revealing black hair, and dark tan skin that wasn't too different from Lydia's. He had clear blue eyes and a confident look on his face. "Long time no see, sis." he said when he finally reached Lydia.

"It's been a while…" Lydia said smiling. "Brother Lycus."

The three of them walked through the settlement, several people saw them and whispered to one of their friends, a few of them waved. The buildings and house were all made of wood and had the same oriental design as the wall that surrounded them. Several of the people were human sized and had pointed ears. Others were much larger, at least twice as large as the others, and looked like they could break you like a twig. "God, I miss the old days." Lycus said. "Remember? You, me, and Rudi used to play over in the temple courtyard all the time." Lycus said looking at the large circular building in the center of the town.

"Lycus…" Lycus turned and faced his sister. "I need to speak with grandfather."

Lycus put on a serious expression. "What's this about?" he asked.

"There is a…pressing matter that I have to attend to and I need to speak to grandfather now." Lydia explained. A look crossed her face that said she realized something. "Hey, Rudi? Shouldn't you go see your dad? I have to talk to my grandfather about my training, but I'm not so sure about you." Lydia said.

"You're right." Rudi responded.

"Come to think of it ,I think I forgot where you lived in the time we've been gone. Can you make it there on your own."

Rudi nodded. "I remember." saying goodbye to Lydia and a respectful nod to Lycus, he started off towards the direction he believed his old house was.

"What did you say about training?" Lycus asked.

"I'll explain later." Lydia said.

The sun shined it's light down on a beautiful garden, several exotic plants filled the courtyard of the temple courtyard. "He should be around here." Lycus said, pushing his way through until he tripped on a stray root. "Damn it!" He tore the root off and stood up. "He really needs to get a new gardener around here." Soon, the sound of a person playing, or rather _trying _to play, yet failing miserably, a Lute filled the air.

"What's that?" Lydia said wincing at each messed up note or chord. "Sounds like a dying animal."

"Blast it!" an old, rough sounding voice yelled. "I'll never get this down!"

"Don't beat yourself up sir. I'm sure if you keep trying you'll get it down eventually." a softer, much younger, female voice responded.

"That must be them. Come on!" Lycus motioned for Lydia to follow.

Swatting through several pushes and vines, the two siblings soon found themselves in a small clearing. A wooden bench with two elves sat in the center. On was a very old man with a soft short beard. He wore a long, elegantly designed, yellow robe, and had the same dark skin and hair, and clear blue eyes as Lydia and Lycus. Next to him was a much younger Elf with pink hair, pale skin, orange eyes, and had a blue and teal colored robe.

"Oh! Sir, we have visitors." The pink haired woman said.

"Hm? Who is…Oh…!" The old man looked up and saw Lycus and Lydia.

"Hey there, old timer. Still struggling with that Lute I see." Lycus teased.

The old man paid him no heed and fixated his stare on Lydia. "So… You've finally returned." He smiled. "Miss Alicia, please put this away for me. There is much to discuss." He handed the woman his Lute and a small score sheet. She bowed and proceeded into the thicket of the Garden. "So… Have you returned for good?" The old man asked.

Lydia shook her head. "Not yet…There is still much more I have to do and I need your help." Lydia knelt down to meet her grandfathers gaze. Lycus stared in confusion.

"I see… so you've come for _That_." The old man's gaze grew serious.

Rudi trotted through the street that he believed his old home was located. He glanced at the people around him. A sight that would have been nearly impossible in his homeland had made itself commonplace in the new world he was in. The Giants and Elves were in constant conflict with one another. Many didn't see the reason for all the fighting, which was the reason he came here. Rudi remembered being taken on board this boat when he was merely a child, his parents not telling him exactly what was happening. He didn't remember much about his original home, only the cries of those who lost loved ones in the conflict. He remembered the trip coming here, how a second ship seemed to follow his, ominously, towards Uladh. Upon finding out who was actually on the boat, he asked his father why their enemy had come with them, that if there would be more fighting. "This is not to be a new tragedy in our shattered lives, but a way to bring salvation to our race should this pointless fighting continue."

Those were the words his father had said to him, the words he chose to live by as the days went on. He knew that this town, it's people, and the very soil it was built on, was proof that Giants and Elves could coexist, at least to those around him. He saw it in a different light, however.

"_If this was the proof that we could have peace, then why are we here and not there?"_ Rudianos thought to himself. _"They claim it is a testament to peace, but in the end…"_ Rudi stood in front of the gates to his father's home, the largest one in the street he was on. _"…isn't it just running away?"_ He placed his foot onto the bottom step, the wood creaking as his weight pressed down on it.

**Unknown Location**

"W…what?" Sylvina stared dumbfounded at Morgant. Vulcan stood next to her, equally shocked. The conference room was as dark and foreboding as ever. The only visible captains present were Adrian and Morgant.

"**Didn't you hear me? I said that Quari's Unit, now under **_**your**_** command, Sylvina, will be merged with Vulcan's unit."** Morgant said.

"But…but how? Why? Haven't I…" Sylvina started but was silenced.

"**Your brother had proven himself to be an asset to be used, and his death has caused a few set backs… but you have yet to prove yourself worthy of the rank of captain. Until you do, you will replace Triad as Vulcan's new lieutenant."** Morgant said, emotionlessly.

"But…" She looked around the room, knowing there wasn't anyone there to protest. Even if there were, she doubted they would be allowed to. She then looked at Vulcan who's expression had grown more serious. "I…"

"I accept this honor, Lord Morgant." Vulcan said bowing. He then turned towards Sylvina. "We should inform your men."

Sylvina looked at him with confused anger but then gave in, realizing that she couldn't get revenge for her brother's death by being executed for defying orders. "I understand sir, I will go." She bowed to Morgant and followed Vulcan out of the room.

"I can only imagine how pissed off you must feel right now." Vulcan said in a teasing tone. Sylvina stayed silent. Well…nothing can be done about it now. Lets just put the past behind us and keep moving. What do you say?" Vulcan said. Sylvina merely glared at him and walked down the hall. "Geez… just trying to cheer you up." Vulcan said scratching the back of his head and following her.

"_I'll avenge you Quari…I swear it."_ Sylvina thought to herself as she walked along the hall, observing the darkness that lied ahead of her.

**Bangor**

Sol stretched his arms as he sat up in bed. Yawning, he opened the window the let the sun in. "I guess today's the day." Sol scratched his head and proceeded to prepare. Stripping off his sleeping attire, he placed on a black long sleeve shirt and grey pants. Brown colored combat shoes, leather gloves, and his usual leather armored pads, and his Katana covered the casual clothing underneath. Sol looked at the iron breastplate that rested on the chair in the corner of his room, busted, bent, and dented beyond repair. _"man… I spent almost 500 gold on this thing…"_ he though in disappointment and picked it up. "I'll just toss it somewhere." He said to himself before exiting his room. As he reached the ground floor, he saw Diana and Toran waiting for him.

Diana had her hair in her usual ponytail fashion and was wearing a full leather armor set and her crossbow slung over her back. Toran was wearing a brown robe and had his staff in hand. "Are you ready?" Toran asked. Sol nodded. "Then let's go."

As the trio exited the inn, Toran spoke again. "We'll head outside town before we teleport, that way, we won't have anyone accidentally walking in between us while the process begins."

**Emain Macha**

"So this is…everything?" Craig said, sifting through the small folder of papers that sera handed to him.

"Yes sir. As you will read in the report, we were unable to apprehend the fugitives in the chaos, nor were we able to completely annihilate the dark knight forces in the area." Sera explained.

"No…but you were able to destroy one of their bases which should slow them down at least a little." Craig said, reassuringly. "Where are the others now?"

"My captain and Kai are still at Agnes's while Shaosu and Naomi went back to his house for the day." Sera explained.

"And the Medallion?" Craig asked.

"Right here." Sera reached into her pocket and pulled out the artifact. Craig took it and examined it.

"Hm… this design…it's similar to what priests usually wear." Craig said.

"Priests? But why was it with the fomors?" Sera asked.

"I don't know…and then there's the inscription…it appears to be in fomor script. I've seen some of these symbols in a textbook when I was younger." Craig commented further.

"Can you translate it?" Sera asked.

"goddess … goddess give me…Damn it! I can't fully translate it." Craig said in frustration.

"It's all right sir, it's not like fomor language is something you can learn in school." Sera then realized something. Nao might be able to translate. She mentally slapped herself for not asking earlier and snatched the medallion out of Craig's hands, much to his surprise. "I just remembered that I might know someone who can translate this!" Sera said.

"Who?"

"Um…" Sera thought to herself. _"How can I explain how Naomi might be able to understand fomor script?"_ Sera then spoke. "She…she prefers that her Identity not be revealed." sera said in a nervous tone.

Craig gave her a suspicious look. Sera laughed nervously. "All right then, as long as she can be trusted." Craig said. "Just make sure it's accurate."

Sera saluted. "Yes sir!" With that, she exited the room and darted for Shaosu's home.

**Elf-Giant compound**

"So you wish to learn the ancient power, bestowed upon our race by our ancestors?" Lydia's grandfather asked. Lydia nodded in response. "Why, may I ask, is it that you desire this power all of a sudden?" He asked.

Lydia took a deep breath. "The outside world…isn't the way we initially believed it was. When we came here, we were afraid that the indigenous inhabitants on this continent would want us to open a route to our old home, possibly causing an escalation in the conflict." Lydia explained. "The people outside weren't like that. They were understanding, kind, and they gave me and Rudi aid when we needed it. That being said, there is also a great evil that is present in this world. You of all people should be able to sense it. Rudi and I have been traveling with a small group of humans to stop this threat, but I need more power if we're going to have a chance at even trying to stand up to it." Lydia concluded her explanation.

Her grandfather took all of this in and thought, not speaking for a long while. "Hm… it seems that you have grown quit attached to the outside in the time that you were gone." He commented. "However, the power you desire was lost to our race for hundreds of years. It hasn't been used since the time of the dragons."

Lydia stood there, speechless. "What? That can't be! I fought someone who used the power of the falcon!"

Lydia's grandfather's eyes widened in shock. "Are you certain?" he asked. "What did this person look like? What was his name?" He prodded.

Lydia was caught off guard by the sudden onslaught of questions. "His name is Diran. I remember his partner calling him by that name."

"Partner? There are two who obtained this power?" Lycus said.

"Not exactly. His partner was a female giant. She had the power of the beast with her." Lydia explained. She then described what Diran and Tanya as best she could. She also described the people she was traveling with and the events that transpired. Lycus and her grandfather seemed to take this in with little surprise. "And that's pretty much it." She concluded.

Lycus remained speechless but Lydia's grandfather simply chuckled. "So… we are up against another elf and his giant partner? I wonder how they came here?" he pondered. "do you think they just strayed off from when we initially settled here?" Lycus speculated.

"_How_ they got here doesn't matter. All we need to know is that they _are_ here and that they are a threat to everything we've worked towards." Lydia stated. "Are you sure that we will be unable to unlock the power of the ancients?"

Lydia's grandfather stayed silent and remained deep in thought. "There may be a way to obtain this power, but it is only a theory, an untested theory, I might add." he said.

"Whatever it is, I'm willing to try it." Lydia said, eagerly.

"Very well. Follow me." Lydia's grandfather led her and Lycus through the thick vegetation that covered the temple garden. Eventually, after wading through several branches, bushes and vines, the three of them arrived into a large, circular clearing. "We have arrived." The grandfather said.

As Lydia and her brother exited the bushes, she noticed a large circular platform in the middle of the clearing. She looked around and saw that the vegetation seemed to abruptly stop at about a 5 meter radius around it. The various plants and bushes seemed to actually avoid the area and go around it, like an invisible wall was there. Branches on trees seemed to angle out at irregular angles, the bushes seemed to press against something that wasn't there. "What is this place?" Lydia asked, bewildered. She then felt a sudden pressure on her chest. "There's something strange about this place." she said.

"In order to obtain the power used by our ancestors, I decided that the best way to do that is to simply ask them themselves." Lydia's grandfather said. "Please, step onto the platform." Lydia's grandfather said, stepping onto it himself. Lycus and Lydia followed.

Lydia looked on the floor of the platform and saw an extravagant carving. It was of a woman with Long hair and wings, seemingly falling, with a sphere of light embraced as though she was clutching a child. "Who…" before Lydia could finish her thought, she heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. "What's happening?" The stone platform began to descend into the ground, walls began to rise around it.

"Fear not." Lydia's grandfather said, a stern look on his face. "It is here where we will decide if you deserve the gift of the Irinids."

Rudianos knelt down on the floor of the main audience room with his father, Taranis. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head. The room was mostly empty, save for a few large tapestries that hung on the wall. He stared at his father who, while also kneeling down, was on a slightly raised platform. He had brown eyes and hair, lightly tanned skin, a sharp nose, and seemed to have a permanent frown on his face. He wore the traditional clothes of his people, a thick coat made out of the pelt of some animal from Iria. It was mostly designed to help deal with the cold weather of the Giant's homeland. Rudi could only imagine how sweltering it was for him. Rudi's eyes then rested on the weapon next to his father. A large battleaxe, named Gaul, that was passed down through his family since the time of the dragons.

"So…" Taranis began to speak. "You say you wish to learn our ancient power, Rudianos?" He stared down at his son. "Do you fully realize the severity of your request?"

"Y-yes, father…" Rudianos stammered. "I believe that-" Rudi, not surprisingly, couldn't say the right words. _"Why? Why was it so hard for me to deal with this man?"_ Rudi thought to himself.

"Before you ask for something, you should know how you're going to ask it." Taranis scolded. "Granted, you were never one to mix words, but you should know when to be ready to drop your 'silent warrior' attitude." Taranis stepped down from his raised position, placing Gaul into it's holster on his back. "Rudianos!" Taranis yelled. "I'll Ask you once more!" He stared into the eyes of his son. "_Why_ do you want this power?" Taranis stood over Rudianos, an intense expression on his face, while Rudi had a lost one.

The look in Rudi's eyes then turned to into one just as fierce as his father's. "To Protect." Rudi said.

"Protect what?"

Rudi thought of his time in Vales. Of the bitter conflicts that took place and shattered the lives of so many. Of how his mother was one of the many lives unwillingly sacrificed in the pointless bloodshed. He thought of Sol and the others, of Nora and the residents of Tir Chonail. He thought of Nerys and her friends. He thought of Lydia. "Everything…" Rudi said. "Everything around me." Rudi's determined stare shot into the intense eyes of his father's.

Taranis huffed. "Very well." Taranis turned towards the door on the far side of the room and walked towards it. Rudi stared dumbfounded, amazed that his bravado actually worked. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Taranis said. "Follow me." Rudi nodded and got up and walked with his father.

* * *

**Tir Chonail Grassland**

Sol, Diana, and Toran all dropped into the field beyond the pasture of Tir Chonail in a brilliant flash of light, scaring off some of the local wildlife in the process. "Aahh… Couldn't you go for a softer landing?" Sol said rubbing his head.

"As long as…we're here… you don't really have a right… to complain." Toran said, breathing deeply with every other word.

"Are you alright?" diana asked.

"Just…Tired… We should…find the inn." Trann said. Diana slung one of his arms across her neck.

"Sol, you work on translating that medallion. I'll take care of Toran." She said.

"Alright then, see you at the Inn." Sol said and went off in the direction of the church while Diana and Toran shuffled on towards the Inn.

**Tir Chonail Church**

Priestess Endelyon swept away the stray leaves around the entrance to the church, her chestnut brown hair swaying in the wind. "Sure is windy today." She said as she looked in the distance. She observed a figure running up the hill, clad mostly in black with a Katana at his side. She instantly knew who it was before he arrived at the fence surrounding the front of the church. "You're…Sol correct?" She said.

Sol nodded. "Could I speak to Priest Meven please? It's kind of urgent." he asked. "Of course, he should still be inside." Endelyon said, pointing towards the door.

"Thank you!" Sol rushed inside the small chapel. He looked around as he reached the center of the lane between the benches, the sunlight filtering through the stain glass windows. "Priest Meven! My name is Sol. I have a favor to ask of you!" Sol called out, footsteps were heard further in.

"A favor you say?" An old monk walked out from the back room and smiled at Sol. "Ah… you are the boy Nora spoke of. I've heard quite a lot about you. Now tell me, what can this old priest do for you?" He said, offering his hand.

Sol shook it and showed Meven the medallion. "I would like you to translate this." Meven took the medallion and examined it. "I believe the inscription is in fomor script."

"Yes… you may be right." Meven clutched the medallion tightly. "Follow me, I've got just the thing for this." Meven said. He led Sol into a back room and down a small flight of stairs into a small study. "I have a book here that could help…" Meven walked over to a shelf and began to search the books heavily. "Here it is…" Meven picked out a dusty old book with a red color. "If I remember correctly, this book should help us translate fomor language." Meven said as he opened it. Sol looked down at the pages, strange symbols covered the pages. "Let's see… this means this…and that one is…" Meven muttered to himself as he translated the inscription. "Got it! It translates into "Goddess, pleas give me the moonlight." Meven said, handing the medallion back to Sol and writing down the translation on a small piece of paper.

"Goddess pleas give me the moonlight?" Sol repeated. "Is this accurate?" Sol asked.

"as accurate as I can get. There are very few examples of Fomor writing around Erinn so there may be a few mistakes here and there." Meven admitted.

"I see… Thank you anyway." Sol waved goodbye to Meven and exited the church. He said his goodbyes to Endelyon and walked into town, towards the Inn. As he walked, a chuckling sound was heard in the back of his own head.

"_**You know, there's a much simpler way to make all your doubts disappear."**_Vice said.

"I'm not relying on you." Sol whispered.

"_**Aw, C'mon! don't be so stubborn!"**_Vice pleaded. Sol stayed silent. _**"Hmph. Fine, if you don't want my help, you don't have to take it. But I will say this. That translation is completely wrong. Do you honestly think that humans would be able to translate the fomor language with what little resources were available."**_ Sol couldn't help but listen. _**"In order to even begin to understand our language, you'd need another fomor to do it. Just a hint to move things along."**_ Vice chuckled one last time and then retreated into Sol's subconscious. Sol stopped walking as he reached the top of the hill that led to the Inn. He looked at the sky, deep in thought. "I should get a second opinion on this…" He said to himself.

Sol tightened the scarf around his neck, shivering as he drudged his way through the snow. He didn't know why he thought Tarlach would know, he just figured that he would be as good a place to start as any. He glanced around the trees, making sure that he didn't get attacked by coyotes like last time. He as he traveled along the barely visible path, he heard a voice, and the sound of something sizzling, like when a fire is extinguished. Sol followed the voice and reached a small clearing. Tarlach had his back to him and was attempting to cast a fire spell.

"come on…work!" Tarlach channeled the energy through his arm, a flame formed in his palm but then quickly went out in a loud popping sound. "Damn it all!" He kicked the snow.

"Am I interrupting?" Sol said.

Tarlach turned to face him. "Oh…it's you again." He straightened his robe and walked forward. "What can I do for you?" As Tarlach stepped closer, Sol realized that he was sweating profusely, an exhausted look on his face.

"Is this from the fire or…?" Sol began.

"Actually it's because I've stayed in human form for so long." Tarlach explained. "You see, my mana has become a bit…unstable, as of late and as a result, I have to remain in bear form for most of the day." Tarlach paced around in the snow. "needless to say, this has rendered me unable to use most spells, such as when I almost attacked you and your group when you first came here." Tarlach said, remembering how his fireball blew up in his face.

"So I'm guessing your training yourself to stay in human form longer and regain your skill with magic." Sol speculated.

"Yes…" Tarlach confirmed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Now then, what is it that you need?"

"I need you to translate this. It belonged to a member of the dark knights." Sol handed tarlach the medal.

"The dark knights?" Tarlach ran his thumb over the Medal, an inquisitive look on his face. "I see…"

"I had that priest back in town do it but I think a second analysis wouldn't hurt." Sol said as he watched Tarlach examine the inscription.

Within less than thirty seconds, tarlach handed Sol the medallion. "It says 'goddess please lend me your power.'" Tarlach said.

"What? Are you sure?" Sol said, surprised, half due to the actual meaning and the fact that he translated it in less than a minute. "What does this mean?" Sol asked.

"If this says what I think it says, then it means that the dark knights are drawing power from the goddess." Tarlach stated.

Sol stepped back in shock. "But… that can't be…" Sol remembered Morrighan asking him for help in his vision. He remembered Luna smiling at him from a distance. "That… that just can't be…" He gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe that!" he yelled.

"Don't start getting mad at me. I did what you asked." Tarlach handed the medallion back to Sol. "If you want, there is another person I know of who can help you." Tarlach pushed his glasses up. "Her name is-urgh!" Tarlach clutched his heart and fell to his knees.

"Tarlach! What's wrong!?" Sol knelt down to get a close look. Tarlach faced him and had fur growing on his face and fangs. He also began to growl. _"He must not be able to hold this form any longer."_ Sol thought.

"Go…to…Dunbarton…" Tarlach struggled to speak as he began to grow in size. "Find…Kris…tell." With that Tarlach's robe burst open and he soon fully changed into a bear.

"Tarlach?" Sol asked.

Tarlach snorted and looked at the remains of his robe, almost sorrowfully. The bear looked at Sol and gestured for him to go back to town. With a snort, he walked deeper into the forest. Seeing that he wouldn't be able to get anymore info out of Tarlach at this time, Sol re adjusted his scarf and proceeded back to Tir Chonail.

"Dunbarton, huh? I'm gonna be in a world of sh-" A gust of wind blew snow into Sol's face. Wiping it off, he glared up into the sky. "I hate the cold…" He continued on in a huff.

* * *

**Underground**

Lydia looked up from where she stood. The platform she was on had descended so far down, that the opening leading to the surface looked like a small blue dot. She looked around and saw 15 statues situated at the edge of the circular chamber, a large set of double doors was located behind her. "What am I supposed to do here?" Lydia faced her grandfather only to have a small stone disc placed in her hand.

"Use this to unlock the doors. You must pray to our ancestors to grant you the power you seek." Lydia's grandfather stated.

Lydia turned to face the double doors and gulped. "Is there anything…dangerous I should know about that's in there?" Lydia asked.

"Only what you take with you…" Her grandfather said, cryptically.

"_The heck does that mean?"_ Lydia questioned in her head. She realized that she probably wouldn't get much more info out of him and walked towards the Large doors. She examined the circular hole in the center, running her hands along the edge. She placed the stone disc into the slot and the gates rumbled open. Lydia stepped back to make room. She looked into the room that laid open before her. She looked back at her grandfather and brother, her grandfather urging her forward. She sighed and proceeded into the dark room. "I can tell where this is going…" Lydia muttered as she entered, the doors closing behind her.

**With Rudi**

Rudi looked around the large chamber he and his father had entered, 14 statues were situated around the room. Rudi recognized the statues as different deities worshipped by his ancestors. "What must I do, father?" Rudi asked.

Taranis stopped after reaching the far end of the room and turned to face Rudi. "In order to obtain the power you seek, you must prove yourself worthy in the eyes of those who came before." Taranis turned around and placed Gaul onto a pedestal, a circular glyph began to glow on the floor. "Stand in the circle, Rudianos." Taranis commanded. Rudi stepped inside and knelt down. "You may feel a momentary discomfort." Taranis stated. Rudi was about to ask what he meant but soon realized that the area around him was fading. The walls collapsed into darkness, the statues seemed to move and dissolve into dust. Soon all that remained was Rudi and his father. "Be strong, my son." Taranis said before he too dissolved. Rudi looked around finding himself surrounded by darkness.

* * *

**Emain Macha**

Sera knocked on the door to Shaosu's house. "Shaosu! Are you there? It's me, Sera!" She called. The door swung open, a tall, dark skinned man appeared in the door way. "Oh, Rischiev! How are you?"

"Just fine. So what do you need?" Rischiev asked.

"I need to talk to Shaosu and Naomi. Well actually, just Naomi, but I figured that if I found one then I'd find the other, considering the fact that they're always together." sera explained.

"Well, their in the back yard." Rischiev pointed behind him with his thumb. "Go ahead and see him." He stepped aside as Sera thanked him and walked to the back of the house.

"Hyaaaah!" Nao swung her staff in large arcs, striking each of the wooden targets in their marked areas with precision. She turned to Shaosu, wiping the sweat off her fore head. "How was that?"

"You're getting a lot better. I think you're progressing at a faster pace than when I started training." Shaosu said. He was covered in several bandages, his right arm had a cast around it. "Do you think Rischiev went a little overboard with the bandages? I mean, you did most of the healing." Shaosu complained, ripping off a bandage that was hanging out.

"He's just concerned. It's not like magic can heal everything. Even _I_ can't dot all at once." Nao said. She then noticed Sera coming through the door way. "Sera? What is it that you need?"

"I need you to translate something for me." Sera said pulling out the Medallion.

Kai woke up to the sound of voices and armor being locked into place. "Huh?…_I must've dozed off…_" Kai shook his head to wake up and saw Sol sitting up on his bed and Agnes helping him into his armor. "Well what do we have here? I thought you'd be in bed for at least the rest of the day." Kai said, standing up.

"His wounds healed surprisingly fast! I've never seen anything like it before." Agnes commented as she helped Soma off the bed. "He should be back in action by tomorrow. However, I still want you to meet me here again to make sure. All right?" Agnes said.

Soma gave her a polite nod. "Let's head back to HQ. I probably have a lot of work to finish after our little fiasco." Soma stated. He and Kai went downstairs and exited the building. As the two walked down the street towards the Paladin HQ, Kai noticed something on the wall of one of the buildings.

"Big performance at Rua's Pub! A rising star in the world of music!" Kai read it out loud with little enthusiasm.

"what's with you?" Soma asked. He looked at the same poster. "A Performance? Doesn't seem like something I'd expect Rua to be into…or _you_ for that matter." Soma commented.

"I just had a feeling. Let's just go…" Kai said, taking one last glance at the poster.

"Big performance today, Eh Adrian?" Diran teased the young Pianist. Tanya stood behind him, not contributing to the conversation. Adrian stood along the sidewalk, examining the poster, Mai standing next to him, equally silent. "Do you think this'll work?" Diran asked. "Torim was easy since the people were already…uh… prepared when we arrived, but what about now. We haven't tried a City this big before. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Hmph. Of course I can. My music is the very definition of Perfection!" Adrian stated. "besides…" Adrian began to stroke Mai's hair. "I'll have a chance to make a new addition to my collection." Adrian said.

"Collection?" Adrian inquired.

"Didn't you know? Little Mai here is part of a set." Adrian said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"you're sick, man." Diran chuckled.

"So, How's Kristell?" Adrian asked, turning to face Diran. "You paid her a visit a while ago right?"

"She's doing as fine as I expected her to be." Diran shrugged.

"What's with the sudden tone? Did you get dumped again?" It was Adrian's turn to tease, this time. Diran shot him a threatening glare and slammed his fist against the side of the building. Adrian didn't even blink.

"You should watch your mouth." Diran said.

"You should watch your temper." Adrian countered.

"Diran, control yourself!" Tanya scolded.

Adrian attempted to make a comment but was silence. He looked down and saw that Mai had grabbed his shirt sleeve. His eyes widened with this gesture and then relaxed. "It won't be good for either of us to start a fight here. I'll see you when the mission starts." Adrian and Mai turned and walked away, Leaving Diran to cool down. As they continued, Adrian looked at Mai. _"She's never done that before… I wonder…" _Adrian pushed his thoughts out of the way. There would be plenty of time to reflect after the mission.

Sai sat on his bed in his room. Examining the bandages on his chest. He, along with River, had been allowed to leave the infirmary since their injuries were relatively minor. Sai left without a fuss, but he could hear River muttering something about getting revenge. Sai sighed, stood up and looked out the window. The afternoon sun set "Was what Kai said really true?" he wondered out loud. Sai curled his hands into fists. If it was true, he'd make the bastard pay ten times over. Mai didn't deserve a fate like that, to be someone's doll for the rest of her life. However, regardless of how he felt now, he couldn't do anything in the state he was in. Sai sat back down on his bed, running his hand through his hair.

* * *

**Tir Chonail**

The brilliant orange sun cast it's light through the window of the Inn, Toran, Diana, and Sol sat at one of the tables. "So we have to go to Dunbarton again?" Toran complained.

"Not all of us…Just me." Sol explained.

"Why just you? That place is full of Paladins now. Even you can't take that many on. You'd either get captured, or Vice might cause you to go berserk again."

"Not if I wear a disguise. Besides, if the three of us go in together it'll be harder to sneak back out." Sol said.

"I still don't like this plan…" Diana responded.

"Look, it's easy. I dress up in a bunch of robes, sneak past the guards, find Kristell and get her info, sneak back out and I'm home free!" Sol said.

"What will you disguise yourself as?" Toran asked.

"A Merchant or farmer probably…" Sol said.

"You'd better make sure to hide your face really well. If you get caught, it's all over. Why not send one of us?" Dian asked.

"Because I'm the only person among us who can sense fomors. If I go, it'll go by a lot quicker." Sol assured them.

"I suppose we don't have much of a choice…Fine, you can go on your own. Just don't start anything" Toran said.

"Got it." Sol said.

* * *

**Unknown**

Lydia walked through the darkness, one hand out in front of her to feel if she was going to bump into something and another caressing the wall so she'd know which direction to take. "This is insane… How the hell is this supposed to help me achieve…huh?" Lydia saw a light at the end of whatever tunnel she had managed to walk into. She sped up her pace and stepped into the light. "Finally! If I spent another minute in that place I…would…" Lydia trailed off as what she was looking at finally registered. Lydia stood on a small platform, a staircase leading to the ground below was attached to it. This wasn't what surprised her. What surprised her was that she was overlooking a giant maze, several dead ends, twisting hallways, and large enough so that she couldn't see the end. "Just perfect…"

Rudi tensed up as the shining glyph disappeared, his right hand instinctively moving to grab his mace. His eyes darted around wildly, feint outlines moving in the darkness. "Show yourself!" He yelled. A footstep resounded in the black room. Rudi kept his eyes focused in front of him. A large figure stepped out of the darkness. Rudi couldn't make out it's features, the darkness preventing him from doing so. All he could make out was the silhouette of horns, a long neck, wings, and a tail. "A dragon?" Rudi speculated. Soon, other silhouettes appeared before him. Rudi stepped back and stiffened. He pulled out his mace, the drill spikes spinning. He pointed it at the dragons. "Come." He said. Rudi's ears were assaulted by the loud, thunderous roar of the dragon silhouettes.

* * *

I think I took longer to work on this than the last one…

Here are this chapters profiles!

**Taranis:** Rudi's father, and the one who gave him his drill mace. Taranis was the leader of a small village of Giants that lived separately from their main city (I forgot the name) in Iria. He did not harbor any ill will towards the elves unlike most of his brethren and taught others in his village to feel the same. Even after the death of his wife at the hands of an elven raiding party, he bore no hatred. He considered the tragedy a result of the constant fighting between his race and the elves. Soon after, He had cooperated with the elder of an elfin village to flee Iria and the fighting. Many saw this move as an act of cowardice but he never paid much attention to what others said about him anyway. He was known for being especially intimidating which was half the reason why some of those in his tribe didn't oppose his decision to cooperate with elves. He also rarely speaks which was a trait inherited by Rudi, although Rudi takes it to a slightly more extreme level.

As a side note, taranis was the name of a celtic god of thunder. Taranis's axe Gaul is named after a region in western Switzerland (I think) which worshipped the god of war, Rudianos.

**Lydia's grandfather:** For the life of me, I couldn't think up a good name for him. Lydia's grandfather was one of 5 village elders that governed Lydias original home in Iria, only 3 of whom who survived the journey to Uladh. Like Rudi's, this was a separate settlement away from the Elves main city (again, I forget the name). Although he wasn't the elder that was contacted by Taranis, he was one of his supporters. He was often known for getting into strange hobbies or getting into regular hobbies at odd times, only to give up on them and move on to the next one. He took care of Lydia's and Lycus after their parents died.

**Lycus:** Lydia's younger brother and an archer for the town guard. Back in Iria, he was a bit of a crybaby, so Lydia frequently stood up for him. He was initially against working with giants and the notion to leave Iria at all, when the proposition was first brought up. However, Lydia supported the notion and, after the whole town agreed to move, Lycus chose to go as well. Shortly after arriving on Uladh shores, and setting up their new home. Lycus and Lydia soon became friends with Rudi. Lycus took a liking to the bow and began practicing shooting at around age 6, when he was still in Iria. He soon joined the town guard as an archer and remained in this station ever since. There are rumors spreading that he might get to be a leader of his own archery squad.

Coincidentally, Lydia's name is also the name of an ancient kingdom somewhere in Turkey. Lycus was a river that flowed through it.

And that's all for this time. Sorry it took so long.


	15. Chapter 15

**ATTENTION: Due to a screw up in my writing process, I will have to jump forward and backward in time between Sol's Point of view and Soma's (and by extension, Lydia's and Rudi's) Point of view for this chapter. (Sol's story takes place in the daytime while Soma's takes place the night before as does Lydia and Rudi's)**

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 15: Concerto **

_**Emain Macha (10 years ago)**_

"_Simply marvelous!" A man shouted._

"_Stupendous!" Another yelled._

"_Such a beautiful melody." A woman commented. _

_My work was praised the second I first started playing. People adored me, my parents and family loved me. However…it felt hollow. Everything was stagnant and unchanging. I'd play, they listened, they clapped. My father would say "that's my boy" my mother would embrace my. I had everything a boy could want…and it was all so boring. The only thing that kept me going was the music I played. The melody, the rhythm, the music was entirely under my control. To have that much power over something, that was all that kept me interested in life at all. _

_However…even that became just another gray spot in my life. The people who watched me couldn't see the true meaning behind my music. They were just pompous nobles who only wanted to kill time. My music could not, __**Would**__ not reach them. I would look at my family, they were the same. My parents, my siblings, no one could understand it. They were all beneath me. It eventually reached the point to where I contemplated suicide. I had resolved to do so, until I met him. _

"_Excuse me, my boy." The old man asked me. "would you be interested in buying an old book?" I had encountered this man while walking through the main square of the city. I decided to buy it on a whim, my last good deed before I ended my existence. However, that book gave me what I needed to change everything. _

_After learning the magic described on the pages, my music finally began to reach the people around me. The received and understood the message I wanted my music to give! They realized the error of their passive, stagnant lifestyles. They flocked around me, worshipped me…the feeling of godhood resounded within me once again!_

_Even this came to an end eventually. I received a message, a divine vision from the gods themselves that my music would serve a higher purpose. I answered the call of my lord. I left this city and reached the position I am in now, the fame I had garnered in my younger days was soon forgotten, my family falling into poverty at my sudden disappearance. Little did I know, that I would soon return to this place even stronger than before._

**Emain Macha (present)**

Adrian looked at himself in the mirror, making sure his hair was in perfect condition. He wore a typical black and white tuxedo, a black tie wrapped around his neck. "I'll have to look good for my comeback recital. Wouldn't you say so, Mai?" Adrian turned and looked at his favorite thrall. Her glassy gaze was turned to the floor. She wore a gothic, elaborately designed dress. Silk white gloves covered her gentle hands. Adrian examined her and looked back at the mirror, making some last minute adjustments to his attire. He had been trying to provoke some kind of response from Mai, ever since she had (supposedly) kept him and Diran from having a brawl in the middle of the street. "Is she somehow developing a will of her own?" he muttered to himself. He had heard a rumor that, over time, "bound vessels" like Mai would somehow develop self awareness due to them feeding off of the energy of the soul of the person they are bound to. He had dismissed the rumor as idle gossip, but now he was intrigued. Adrian's thoughts were halted by a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Mister von Kaumpherr." A tall man with long black hair and a beard stepped into the room. Adrian remembered his name as Lucas. "you'll be performing in about 30 minutes." Lucas said.

"I'm already prepared. Can't I just start now?" Adrian asked.

"There's still some performers up there." Lucas informed.

"I see…Very well then, I can wait." Adrian replied.

Lucas slowly closed the door, giving Adrian a suspicious look. "I don't like this guy for some reason." He muttered as he walked away.

**Tir Chonail General store**

Sol adjusted the glasses he had bought and looked in the mirror. "Hmmm…" Sol squinted his eyes and leaned in closer. Without warning he took off the pair and tossed them aside. "No." Was all he said. He reached onto a small rack and tried on another pair, examined his reflection, and tossed them aside, saying "No." and repeating the sequence for five more pairs of glasses.

Toran sat on a chair in the corner of the room, watching Malcolm dart back and forth, catching the glasses that Sol rejected. His eye twitched. After the tenth "No." Toran finally snapped. "Would you just make up your mind already! What's wrong with any of these? They look fine!" Toran asked.

"They all look great, except for the fact that I can't see out of any of them…" Sol said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Have you ever even needed glasses?" Toran asked.

Sol thought for a moment. "Nope, can't say I have."

Toran then punched Sol in the face, sending him crashing into several baskets of yarn. "Then how do you expect to see out of any of them! These things were meant to help people who can't see. to everyone else it just makes their vision nauseating." Toran explained.

"Well then, I guess my disguise wouldn't work." Sol said, getting up.

Toran grabbed one of the glasses Sol had tossed away, pushed out the lenses, and placed them back on Sol face. "There, how's that?" Toran asked.

Sol looked in the mirror. "Perfect! Now I just need a Robe, a wig and a fake mustache for good measure!" Sol said, going into the back storage room of the shop.

"Hey, employees only!" Malcolm yelled.

Diana sighed as she heard the commotion going on in the store. "What the heck are they doing in there?" She wondered.

"Waiting for someone?" a voice came from behind Diana.

"Chief Duncan?" Diana said as she turned around.

"Good to see you again." He said, smiling. "What escapade have you gotten yourselves into this time?" He asked, hearing the yelling inside.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just another one of Sol's hair brained schemes." Diana said, playfully.

"I see…" Duncan gave a hard look inside the shop, at Sol trying on different wigs.

"Is something wrong?" Diana asked.

"No…nothing." Duncan said. "Good day." He said as he turned around and left.

Diana had a quizzical look on her face as Sol burst out of the general shop. "What do ya think!" He said in a suave voice that completely contrasted his look. Sol had a messy brown robe on, several threads sticking out, showing it's age. He wore large square glasses and a furry, thick mustache on his lip. None of this was more distracting than Sol's new hairpiece which was a giant, pink, mullet. "Well?" Sol asked. Toran and Malcolm had their hands covering their mouths and looking away. Diana couldn't tell whether she should laugh or cry.

**Unknown**

Lydia walked through the twisting corridors of the maze she had entered, peeking around each corner to make sure she didn't run into anything foul. "_This_ is what the inside of my soul looks like?" She muttered to herself. "I must be more messed up than I thought…" As Lydia continued, she reached a four way intersection. She took a good look at her surroundings. A dirt road under her feet, and yellow/brown walls making up the maze. "How the hell is this supposed to help me!" Lydia yelled, her voice echoing across the chamber.

Something began to stir in the farthest corners of the maze. Inky, black shadows sprinted on the surface of the maze walls, following the source of the voice, each one traversing the maze as though it were their home. Four shadows managed to pinpoint the source of the yell and had Lydia in it's sight. A black appendage extended out of the shadow on the wall and transformed into a scythe. As it drew closer to the corner, it raised the scythe and brought it down on Lydia's head.

Lydia heard the sound of a blade slicing through air and leaped up, curling into a ball and rolling backwards until she was just behind the shadow that just tried to off her. Without thinking, she plunged her fist into the wall, shattering it. The shadow shot out of the wall and landed a few feet away from Lydia. Lydia turned to face it, as the wall fragments rose into the air and repaired themselves. _"Guess that cancels just bashing through everything…" _Lydia said as she turned to face her assailant. The shadow had formed into a vaguely humanoid shape, both its "arms" forming into scythes. The other three shadows had done the same, their glowing red eyes fixated on Lydia. "At least I have something to do…" She grinned, confidently.

Rudi jumped back as a massive claw, or the silhouette of what he believed was a claw, crashed down onto where he was standing. He ducked again as another claw slashed the air above his head. A small flicker caught Rudi's attention and he raised his mace up to guard. A dragon's mouth clamped down on the business end of his mace. Grinning, Rudi activated the drill spikes, the dragon grunting in pain and releasing his weapon. Rudi felt warm blood on his hand as he pulled back. His eyes darted around, counting five visible figures. "Light….If only…" Rudi muttered. As another dragon charged forward, Rudi jumped to avoid the attack. He swung his hand wildly until he brushed against something. Without hesitation, Rudi grabbed at what felt like the dragon's horn. Making sure not to lose his grip, he pressed his feet against the side of the dragon's face to steady himself and slammed his mace, drills spinning, into the dragon's skull. Whatever he hit felt squishy. "_probably the eye or something."_ Rudi speculated before he yanked it out. Pulling himself up, he landed on the dragon's head, struggling to hold on while it writhed in pain. "I can do this…I won't back down now…" Rudi turned his mace upside down and plunged it into the dragon's skull.

Lydia's foot crushed another wall in an attempt to hit one of the shadow's that were chasing her. "Damn it!" She yelled as the creature simply jumped to the adjacent wall, hole she just made repaired itself like last time. She then turned and ran down the corridor, dodging the strikes aimed at her. "Stupid things don't know when to quit." she said as she ran. Two of them rushed ahead and pealed themselves off the wall, transforming into two ink-like humanoids. "Shoot!" Lydia said, punching forward at one of them. Her fist simply passed right through, creating a splashing sound in the process. The creature split down the middle until it reached the point to where Lydia punched it and slinked out of her grip. Both their arms turned into scythes and began swinging at Lydia. She flipped, jumped, and blocked to keep from getting hit. Before long, she was backed against the wall. Lydia turned around and crouched down, narrowly avoiding getting beheaded. "Damn you!" She stuck her leg out and spun around, sweeping the two creatures off their feet, dashing ahead as soon as the opening presented itself. She darted ahead as fast as she could, rounding corners at random, not caring if it was in the right direction or not. Lydia looked behind her, the shadows were hot on her tail. "Damn it…" Lydia tripped, and fell on a misplaced brick. She turned and saw the shadows converge on her and ricochet off of some invisible force. "Huh?…" Lydia cautiously rose to her feet. "What's holding you back?" She asked, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. The Shadows peeled off the wall and took their humanoid shapes and stared at her with their glowing red eyes. Without warning, they dashed off back the way they came.

"Well that was freakish…" Lydia said. When she turned to take a step, her foot made a strange sound. "Tapping? Wasn't I on a dirt road?" She looked down and saw that the area in front of her had bricks instead of dirt although some of them were sticking up or had grass growing in between the cracks, the walls also looked cleaner, but not by much. "Maybe they can't enter this section of the maze…Guess that means I passed the first stage!" Lydia said, with a triumphant voice which soon died upon another realization. "This probably means something worse is in here…and then there's the question of how many stages there are…" Lydia wondered. "There'll be time for thinking later! I've gotta speed this up! I don't want Rudi to have to wait for me." Lydia heard a loud boom echo from behind her. She saw a large pillar of light coming from, where she assumed, she had to go. Lydia grinned anddashed off into the maze with renewed vigor.

A dragon cried in agony as it fell to the ground, writhing to get Rudi off of it's head. Rudi slammed his mace down on it's neck. _"You won't get away!"_ Rudi thought as he struggled to stay balanced. He aimed to take out another eye, but ended up slamming into the jaw, breaking it. The Dragon tried yelling again but only managed a slurred grunt. The dragons movements were becoming more sluggish, placid. "Over…" Rudi raised his mace and slammed it hard down on the dragon's skull, killing it. As the dragon fell, Rudi stepped off. He noticed that the shapes of the remaining four had become less darkened, more defined, more light was entering the area he was in. _"I think I just figured out the rules of this game."_

**Emain Macha **

Adrian stared down at the music sheet in front of him, collecting his thoughts before the mission began. He looked to his left, a mirror, a random assortment of make up and a large piano were situated in the back. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the clock, only 5 minutes remained until he went on stage. "Now we enter the calm before the storm." Adrian said, glancing at Mai. "Who knows, you might get to see your brother again." Adrian said in a teasing tone. Before long, a knocking sound came from Adrian's door.

"Mister Von Kaumpherr! You're up!" Lucas's voice called. Adrian grinned.

Diran looked over the city of Emain Macha from the top of the observatory. The city lights shined like stars. "Such a nice city, a shame it had to be the central hub of one of the biggest thorns in our side." Diran commented. "Torim was the precursor for this little project. We know Adrian is strong enough to control an entire community and how long he can hold it. Now we just have to make sure he doesn't lose focus." Diran said.

"It's not perfect, those within the paladin ranks that have unlocked their powers won't be affected by Adrian's music." Tanya pointed out.

"That's what we're here for." Diran replied. Diran's ear twitched. "Hm?" An elegant melody began to resonate. Although most wouldn't be able to hear it, Diran, like most elves, had superior hearing when compared to humans. A malicious grin spread across his face. "It begins!" Without warning, Diran leaped off the Observatory roof, Tanya following soon after.

"Hm…? Music?" Capt. River looked out the window of his room over the city. He had returned to the small mansion on the edge of the city after being released from the hospital. He wore a long dark green set of pajamas. "Such a sweet melody…perhaps I should pay a visit to the pub before I set off." River's thoughts were interrupted by a crashing noise. "What?" River opened his door and looked down both ends of the dark hallway. "Gertrude? Samuel?" River called out the names of two of his family's servants but received no answer. _"A break in?"_ River closed his door, locked it, and moved to his closet to fetch his sword and armor.

Shasou sat up in his bed, examining the medallion he retrieved from the Bangor mines. "Goddess lend me your strength…" Shaosu repeated the translated words that Nao told him and Sera earlier today. "Why is it that something complicated happens every other day here for me?" Shaosu complained. Shaosu turned his head to the scratching sounds coming from his door. "Shadow?" As Shaosu turned the Knob on the door, Shadow burst into the room, biting at the air where Shaosu's face was a second before. "What the-!" Shaosu leapt back, grabbing the sword that was leaning against his side table. "Easy boy. It's me! Shaosu!" Shadow only growled and glared at him. _"What the heck is going on!"_ Shaosu looked Straight at shadow's eyes. They were white, like they were rolled into the back of his head. "It's like he's half conscious…" Shaosu commented before ducking as Shadow leapt at him. While the dog was still over his head Shaosu took his chance and darted towards the door, rolling to give himself an extra boost. As Shaosu exited the doorway, he turned around and slammed the door shut, hearing Shadow bang against it as he tried to leap at him again. Shaosu looked around and found a small chair. _"He definitely wasn't fully conscious…Shadow wouldn't normally fall for something that simple."_ Shaosu said, wedging the chair against the door to prevent Shadow from breaking it open again.

"Shaosu!" Nao called and approached him from down the hall. "Were you just attacked as well?" Nao asked. Shaosu nodded. "Rischiev just tried to decapitate me with an axe! I managed to lock him in my room, but it won't hold him for long." Nao explained.

"I see, we'll have to move now then. But before we do, did Rischiev have white eyes by any chance?" Shasou asked. Nao nodded. "I see…alright, let's head to HQ. Maybe the Captain knows something. The two of them darted off down the stairs and out the door.

"Hey! C'mon! Didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your elders!" Kai said, dodging blows from several students at the Paladin academy. Kai ducked as he sensed one flying over his head and crashing against a table. "Geeze, you don't have to be so rough Soma." Kai said to his superior.

"Since I can't kill them I have to neutralize them. Just dodging isn't going to get you very far." Soma said. "Now quit making jokes and help me!" Soma blocked a punch with his forearm and kicked the student in the gut. He clutched his stomach and fell over, unconscious.

"You really can be ruthless you know that?" Kai said, sidestepping an attack from behind and elbowing the female student in the head, knocking her out. "But then again…" Kai and Soma stood back to back, the semi conscious students beginning surrounding them. "…I guess I can too!"

"Damn it!" Sera slammed the front end of her wooden staff into the sternum of one of the cooks. "I come to get a snack and look what happens!" Sera senses someone behind her and turned to face him. "C-commander!" Sera stopped her staff inches before it struck Craig in the face. Like wise, Craig stopped his sword before he sliced Sera's throat.

"Sera…Good to see you haven't been affected…" He said, sheathing his sword.

"Yeah…" Sera replied, lowering her stance. "Um…have you…?" Sera said, eyeing the sword.

"Hm? Oh, this! I mostly just ran when they came after me. But that didn't always work so I made sure to aim for the least vital parts." Craig said, laughing uncharacteristically nervously considering his station.

"What is causing this!" Sera yelled to no one in particular. As she said this, she noticed the music that began to permeate the room. "Music?" She looked at the staff members as they got up, shuffling in rhythm to the beat of the song.

"I think we may have found our answer." Craig said.

"Music is controlling them!" Shaosu yelled as he kicked one of the zombie-like citizens out of the way.

"Haven't you noticed that they seem to move in rhythm with the melody? I think this song is what's causing it!" Nao responded, using her staff to swat back other towns people.

"Then why haven't we been affected!" Shaosu said. Forcing his and Nao's way through the crowded streets.

"We probably shouldn't talk here! We have to find a building or something!" Nao yelled.

Shaosu's eyes darted across the area until he spotted the equipment shop. "There!, Osla's shop!" Shaosu and Nao darted towards the shop's door and slammed it shut as they entered. "Block the door!" He yelled. He and Naomi shoved the nearby couch in front of the door and overturned as many tables and chairs to block the windows. "That should stop them for a while…" Shaosu said breathing heavily. "What were you saying earlier? If only people who hear the music are turned then what about us?"

"Maybe we each have some kind of special protection. For example, I'm from the soul stream so I think that gives me some kind of natural barrier against the effects of the music. As for you, maybe it's because of your abilities as a paladin. Being able to transform is a sign of Morrighan's blessing." Nao explained.

"So that must be why I'm unaffected!" Shaosu finished. "That means there should be others back at HQ!" He said, suddenly full of enthusiasm. "Now we just have to figure out where the music is coming from and regroup with whoever's left."

"Exactly!" Nao said. "Knowing the others, they might be thinking the same thing."

**Rua's pub**

Adrian felt the city pulse beneath his fingers, he felt every single mind and thought meld and solidify with his own. The people in the pub simply stared up at him, a blank expression on their faces and glazed looks in their eyes. Rua moved over and wiped beads of sweat off of his forehead. "Have to keep going…This is a test of my strength!" Adrian said, persevering in spite of the toll on his will._ "Crush them…maim them…Destroy them!"_ Adrian screamed in his mind, his thoughts resonating across the city to his new army.

**Dugald Isle**

Sol trudged along the path, passing through the logging camp without any fuss and proceeded on his way to Dunbarton. Sol went over the plan several times in his head shortly after leaving Tir Chonail. Go into Dunbarton, find Kristell, get the info, get out. Simple enough. Sol pulled his muffler further over his face as two paladins walked by on their patrol route. _"Their spreading their patrols out farther. It won't be long before they just flat out take over. What the hell is happening?"_

"The entire city was attacked?" On knight said to the other.

"Yeah. Apparently all the citizens just went crazy and started rioting. The Dark knights are supposed to be behind it all." the other responded. Sol listened intently.

"What's the condition of the city? Or HQ?"

"Not too bad but it will take us weeks to fully recover."

"Man…first that incident in the bangor mines and now this! What's next?"

"_Emain Macha was attacked! Is that why they moved their forces so far out? Maybe Dunbarton is their new home base…"_ Sol thought as he walked along the road.

**Tir Chonail**

Diana sat on a bench overlooking the pastures, the breeze flowing through the air. "Everything seems so peaceful and yet…I can't shake this feeling of disaster approaching…" Diana mumbled to herself, clutching her chest.

"What are you mumbling to yourself about?" Toran said, coming from behind.

"Eh! Oh! I-It's nothing…What do you need Tor?" Diana asked.

"_Tor?"_ Toran thought to himself. "Just wanted to talk while we have some downtime. How are things between you and Sol?" Toran asked out of the blue.

"Wh-What! There's…uh… There's nothing…" Diana stammered.

"Don't feed me that, it's pretty obvious. I could smell this coming a mile away." Toran said.

Diana seemed to shrink down into her seat. "It's that obvious, is it?" She said, Toran nodding in agreement. "The truth is, I might feel that way towards him, but I don't know what it is on his end. One moment he seems to try to move this little game of ours forward and another he seems to be completely oblivious. Sometimes I think he's still in love with Luna…" Diana said.

"I see…" Toran said, an image of Cleo flashed through his mind.

"So what about you?" Diana began. "What about you and Cleo, if you don't mind me asking." Diana said.

Toran leaned back. "Truth be told…I have no idea what our relationship was either. I don't think it was love, at least not on my part. She was only at the academy for a little less than a year. She would always play some kind of weird prank on me every week or so." Toran explained. "For example, I remember in February she gave me chocolates with some king of really spicy sauce injected in as a filling. I was spitting out fire for a whole hour, and the aftertaste wasn't particularly enjoyable either!" Toran recounted the tail in great detail, Diana laughing when he was done. "But like I said, I couldn't tell." Toran remembered Cleo's last words to him before she died. _"Toran…I…"_ Toran's face had a sorrowful expression on it. _"Cleo…did you really…"_

"Hey!" Diana yelled, snapping Toran out of his flashback. "Now _you_ look like the one with something on his mind. Care to share?" Diana asked.

"There isn't that much to tell…" Toran replied.

**Dunbarton**

"Oh dear…" Kristell observed the now packed city gate. She had stepped out to purchase groceries when she found the large number of people pouring in from the direction of Emain Macha. "What happened here?" The line outside the gate was filled with people and livestock. Some of them had ragged clothes, others wore uniforms indicating they were in the Paladin army. "What in the world happened?"

"There was an attack on the city by the dark knights." a rather young voice echoed from behind Kristell. "They had to send some of the people here while they rebuilt the city."

"Eeep!" Kristell jumped back, observing the figure behind her. He was tall and thin, a white robe clinging tightly to his body. He had silvery white hair and glasses with a thin oval shaped frame. "Who…Who are you, sir?" Kristell asked.

"How rude of me!" The man said and extended his gloved hand. "I am Gillian. Captain Glen Gillian of the paladins, at your service."

"_a Paladin?"_ Kristell shook Captain Gillian's hand. "A pleasure…" She said.

"Yes…well, if you'll excuse me, I have to see to the safety of these fine people. Thank you for your time." Gillian bowed and walked off.

"So that…was a paladin captain?" As Kristell started back to the chapel, she suddenly realized. "I don't think I introduced myself properly!" As she neared the chapel door, Kristell felt a chill run down her spine. "What is this!" She whispered. Kristell looked to her left and right. _"Something malignant just entered the town…Is it Diran again?_" Kristell breathed deeply to calm herself. _"Steady…just wait…it isn't Diran, it's something else…"_

Sol waved goodbye to the guards as he entered the town. "Can't believe how easy that was!" Sol muttered under his breath. _"They seemed like they were in a hurry…_" Sol thought to himself as he walked through the overly crowded streets. _"Now, to begin my search."_

Kristell staggered into the chapel and closed the door. As soon as it was shut she fell to her knees, her hand on her mouth as if she were trying to keep herself from puking. "What is this…!" She felt a sickening feeling well up inside her. "What kind of being can cause this?" Kristell used the windowsill to pull herself up. She looked out and saw one of the townspeople talking with a young man with weird pink hair. "What the…?" She saw the man walking towards the chapel and squinted her eyes, trying to get a closer look. As he drew closer, Kristell saw large black shadow with yellow eyes following him, it seemed to be looking at her. "Ugh!" The sickening feeling began to intensify. "This is bad…" Kristell said, closing the curtains.

"Hello!" Sol knocked on the door to the chapel. "Heelloo!" He called again. "I know I might look like a creep but I'm a pretty decent guy! I just want to talk!" Sol knocked on the door again. Sol then tried jiggling the doorknob and, to his surprise, found it open. "Is it okay for me to just walk right in?" Sol muttered to himself. "Well it is a church so I guess it's okay…" Sol stepped through the door and into the church. "Not a single soul…" He said, looking around. "You'd think they'd have a larger staff, considering the size of this city." Sol heard footsteps behind him. "Hm?" Sol saw a woman with pink hair with her arms raised with a pot in her hands. "Not…" She smashed the pot on his head, disorienting him. "…again…" Sol stumbled for a few seconds before falling to the ground, unconscious."

"That…that actually worked?" Kristell said to herself. She inched forward to get a better look at Sol. The blow had knocked his pink wig off and the glasses were broken. "Who is this guy?" Kristell leaned in closer when Sol's eyes flashed open. They were glowing yellow. "Gah!" A black tentacle shot out of the ground and wrapped itself around Kristell. "Gyahhhh!" It squeezed so hard she thought it would snap her in half. It whipped forward and threw her across the room. Kristell grunted as she crashed against the stairs. She looked up and saw that Sol was getting up, black smoke swirling around him. "Darn…" She quickly got up and tried to retaliate only to come nose to nose with Sol.

Sol's face scrunched up in annoyance. "That wasn't very nice you know…" Sol said. He extended his hand.

"Um…Sorry…" Kristell took it and was helped back up.

"You're lucky I woke up when I did. Otherwise, Vice would've gotten to you." Kristell gave him a puzzled look. "He's a fomor…His spirit is now closely bonded with mine." Sol said, placing his hand on his chest. His expression grew more serious. "Miss Kristell, answer me truthfully. Are you a Fomor?" Sol asked.

Kristell looked into his eyes and saw no trace of deceit or treachery. "Yes…yes I am…"

"I see…Then can you tell me something else? Why is the Goddess lending her power to the fomors?" Sol asked.

"What? Where did you hear that?" Kristell asked.

"This amulet." Sol handed her the medal he had taken from Barri Dungeon.

Kristell examined it and turned it over in her palms several times. "This Medal is ancient. Probably from centuries ago. I swear to you on my honor as a Priestess the goddess isn't sending the Fomors. This medal is from Long ago, it's meaning, if any, no longer exists." Kristell said.

"_**Are you sure you can trust her? I get the feeling she's trying to escape her past by staying at this run down shack. But you and I both know that escape is impossible. Especially for a fomor."**_ Vice whispered in Sol's head.

"Can I ask _you_ something this time?" Kristell asked. "How did you find out about me?"

"That you were here or that you're a fomor?" Sol questioned.

"Both."

"Well for the latter, I could sense your presence. Having a fomor spirit bonded to you will give you certain…instincts. As for the former, a man named Tarlach told me to speak to you about the medal."

Kristell's face seemed to brighten. "Tarlach? Is he alive! Well of course he's alive… Is he doing alright?" Kristell asked, rapidly.

"I…uh…" Sol stammered, caught off guard by the sudden slew of questions. After taking a breath, he explained the situation of Tarlach as well as his own.

"I see… So Tarlach is forced to transform into an animal to control his unstable mana…" Kristell said, saddened by this fact.

"Did…something happen between you and Tarlach?" Sol asked.

"We had a bit of a run in in the dungeon near the town. He was still searching for an entrance to Tir na Nogg at this time, I'm guessing before he joined up with those other two." Kristell said, referring to Ruairi and Mari. "I had watched him from afar and, in the process I…"

"Developed feelings for him?" Sol finished.

"I guess you could say that…" Kristell said, placing her hand on her chest. "Alright…Since we both know each others circumstances, it's about time we got down to business. What do you want to know?" Kristell asked.

**Emain Macha**

Shaosu plugged his ears with his fingers, trying to think of a plan while blocking out the noise. "Oh my… SHUT UP ALREADY!" Shaosu yelled. "Don't you have someone else to chase!"

"Calm down! Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere." Nao said, trying to calm Shaosu down. "Listen, we know the music is what's most likely causing this, but what we need to figure out is where the music is coming from." Nao said.

"You think it's the pub?" Kai said as he drop- kicked a student. "That's the only place I can think of that would be playing music by now. You remember the poster right?" Kai asked.

"Yes, but how could it reach this far? It's all the way across town." Soma said.

"They must be using some kind of spell to amplify the range…" Kai deduced.

"Then we have to regroup with the anyone who hasn't been affected." Soma ordered.

"Can you sense anyone?" Kai asked.

Soma concentrated for a bit, holding back one of the animalistic students. "I sense…6 people who haven't been affected. 4 of them are pretty far off but 2 are in the base. I'm guessing about 1 or 2 floors above us." Soma said.

"Right…now we need an exit!"

"On it." Soma pulled out his claymore and kicked aside several students so that nothing was between him and the wall. "I was trying to minimize damage but…" Soma swung his sword down, blowing apart the wall in front of him. "Let's go!" Soma leaped through his new exit and darted into the adjacent hallway.

"Damn…" Kai said as he followed.

"Out of my way!" Shaosu said as he and Nao forced their way through the mob, ducking into alleyways and through buildings to try and shake them off. It worked for a while but the ones who were cut off simply regrouped minutes later. "The pub should be just around the corner!" Shaosu yelled to Nao as they ran. He rounded the street corner and saw that the area was relatively empty. "Awesome! No guards! I guess they were all concentrated on us!" Shaosu smiled.

"Ah ah ah!" a playful voice said from up above.

Shaosu jumped back, barely avoiding his assailant.

"Nice one! You're Shaosu am I correct? I haven't had a chance to fight you or your squad so lets make our first meeting a memorable one!" Diran said as he steadying himself. Tanya landed right behind him.

"A dark knight?" Nao said. "Wait, you're a…"

"Enough with the pleasantries. This is the day we wipe out one of the players in this game. Once the Paladin HQ is leveled along with the city, taking control will be much simpler." Diran said.

"I was wondering when you'd pull something like this…"

"Oh? Another new guest?" Diran said.

"Because of you imbeciles, I had to bash through most of my house! I hope you're ready to pay!" River and Sai stepped into the light of the nearby street lamp. "I won't let you win."

"Tanya, take care of these fools. I'll handle Shaosu and the chick." Diran said. He and Tanya stood back to back, staring down their four opponents.

Adrian played his melody with more vigor than before. "That brat with the visor is coming…How exiting!" Adrian muttered, glancing at Mai.

"_If I'm right then the one who's causing this is…"_ Kai thought to himself, remembering Adrian from Torim. He clenched his hands in anger. "I'll rip out his throat…" He muttered.

"Kai…" Soma was about to say something when a dark object caught his eye. Soma faced the window and brought his sword to bare, blocking a kick from a large armored foot. He saw a head with black hair with silver streaks through it.

"Wha?" Kai yelled, barely avoiding a knife that was thrown at him. "It's these guys!" Kai said as Vulcan and Sylvina landed in between him and Soma.

"So nice to see you again…" Vulcan said, grinning. "I deeply regret that we never settled things back in Barri dungeon, but now is the chance to make up for lost time!" Vulcan thrust his blade forward, Soma sidestepped. As Vulcan began his next swing, a small flake of wood fell in front of him. He looked up and saw that the ceiling was about to collapse. He and Sylvina leaped apart as Sera and Craig landed between them.

"Captain, are you alright!" Sera asked.

"So these are the fools who dared to attack us!" Craig said.

"Sera, give me some back up here!" Kai said. Sylvina readied her knives as Kai and Sera enclosed in on her.

"Let's show them what happens when you attack our home." Craig said as he and Soma closed in on Vulcan.

**Unknown**

Lydia ran as fast as she could down the narrow hallway of her maze. "This is insane!" She yelled to herself. She saw something move off the corner of her eye and ducked. A square section on the wall to her left extended outward in an attempt to hit her only to hit the adjacent wall. "Missed!" Lydia said and rolled forward and stood up straight only to have to jump upward again as two more sections on the right shot out as well. "Why the hell is this in place in my head!" She yelled in frustration. Lydia ran frantically through the maze, dodging every stone section that shot out. "I can't tell which is worse…these or the shadows…" Lydia looked up towards the pillar of light. She had become no closer to it than before. "Is there some kind of trick I'm not getting, or what!" Lydia yelled, avoiding more stone pillars that shot out of the wall.

"_**What do you desire?"**_

"Huh?" Lydia heard a voice speaking to her.

"_**What do you desire most?"**_ the voice spoke again.

"My greatest desire?" Lydia muttered to herself. She remembered her home, how it was destroyed by Giants. She remembered the journey across the ocean to her new home. She remembered the people she lost back in Iria. She remembered her parents. "Never again…" she muttered. "In Iria all I saw were people dying for the stupidest reasons." Lydia sidestepped another pillar that rose from the ground. "My home, my family was destroyed by that stupid feud! I never want to see that! Never again!" Lydia stopped dead in her tracks. Stone pillars began to rise all around her. "My desire is to make it so that tragedies like Iria can never again be repeated. She saw the pillars completely encircle her, blocking her vision of anything beyond them. "I don't care…I don't care what happens to me in the end… I just want to make this world peaceful for the ones who are closest to me!"

"…_**I see…"**_ The voice echoed and the air grew still. The pillars separated revealing a circular room with a large pillar of light emanating from the center. The shadows that chased her before returned and formed two rows. They motioned for Lydia to pass through.

"Have I…proven myself?" Lydia asked. The shadows began to shift, and change. The form they took was more definite, more familiar. They took the bodies of different Elves. "You all…You're my ancestors aren't you?" Lydia asked. They all smiled at her. Lydia felt tears well up in her eyes. "I see…so this was all one last test to see if I was worthy of inheriting your strength." Lydia bowed. "Thank you for trusting me! I won't let you down!" Lydia ran towards the pillar of light and stepped in. She turned around to face her ancestors and gave them a confident smile. The room, along with their smiling faces began to fade. Lydia noticed two of them stepped forward. She recognized them instantly. "Mom? Dad?" Lydia said. Her mother held out a small, glowing orb and motioned for her to take it. Lydia did so and held it close to her heart. It scattered into smaller fragments and entered her body. She felt immense power flow through her. "Thank you…So much." She said, tears streaming down her face. Her parents both nodded and faded into the darkness.

Lydia soon found herself on the floor of the room she entered when her Grandfather took her underground. She sat up and looked around. She saw the set of double doors open. Her brother and grandfather waiting to greet her. Lydia smiled and ran towards them.

Another blood curdling cry echoed through the abyss Rudi was fighting in. He was sweating and several parts of his combat fatigues were torn or coming off. He looked around him, only four dragons remained. "Just…a little more…" Rudi muttered to himself and swung his mace so that it rested along his shoulders. He grunted and charged forward. Rudi leaped up, dodging a swipe from one the dragon's claws and landed on it's arm. He ran up along it and up to it's shoulder. He then slammed his mace into it's neck before it could react, and pulled the trigger which activated the drill spikes on the metal ball, digging deeper into the monsters throat, the blood splattering on Rudi's face. Rudi ground his weapon deeper into it's throat at dragged across it's neck, tearing a sizable chunk of skin with it. He then leaped up onto the dragons head and slammed his still drilling mace into it's eye and again onto it's skull. The dragon thrashed around for a few seconds before collapsing on the ground, blood oozing out of the wound in it's neck. He looked around and saw the three remaining dragons closing in. _"I can't keep this up much longer…The light is shining through and I can locate them more easily than before but…I don't think I have the stamina to go up against three more."_ Rudi though of his friends. He thought about the Dark knights and the threat they posed. He thought of Lydia. _"I can't…give in…"_ Rudi faced his adversaries defiantly. "Come at me!" He yelled. "I'll crush you just like all the others!" he breathed heavily, blood began seeping through his clothes. Without thinking he charged forward, bringing his mace to bare. One of the dragons also charged forward, half crawling, half slithering towards him. Rudi pulled his mace back and swung forward. The dragon thrust one of his claws to parry it. The creature wailed as it's fingers were smashed right off. Rudi raised his mace up again and slammed it down on the dragon's arm, snapping the joints and bending it out of place.

"_What is this?"_ Rudi thought. _"I feel like a sudden surge of power just rocketed through my body!" _Rudi looked at his hands and along his arm. His skin had grown darker and covered in bluish-gray fur. There were strange markings along his torso and face as well. "Is this…?" Rudi looked himself over one more time and grinned, fangs gleaming in the small amount of light entering the black abyss he was in. The dragon he was fighting reared back and charged at him but was stopped with one hand by Rudi, his hand pushing it back by the nose.. "It's incredible! With this power…There's no way I can lose!" Rudi yelled joyously as he tightened his grip on the beast, his claws digging into the skin. He lifted the creature up and slammed it down on the ground, it's neck breaking with a satisfying snap. "Now then…Let's begin!"

**With Taranis**

"Rudianos…" Taranis watched his son, on his knees in the center of the room with his eyes closed, clench his teeth, revealing gleaming fangs in his mouth. His fatigues began to expand and be punched through by blue-black fur. For the first time, Rudi moved from his kneeling position since the trial began. He lurched forward and was now on all fours. His eyes darted around the room as if searching for something. Taranis could see the circular barrier around his son begin to crack as his power grew. "That's it…just a little more." He said, eyes burning with anticipation. Before long, a loud roar shook the room, shattering the barrier and causing various pieces of furniture to fall.

"Yes…" Taranis said, a faint smile creasing his lips. This quickly turned into surprise when Rudi launched himself at him, his claws being blocked by Taranis's axe. "Hmph, I see you still can't control it completely…Very well, I'll have to smack your senses back into you." Taranis said as he shoved Rudi back .

"A giant maze?" Lycus said when Lydia finished recounting her experience.

"Yeah, I think it was supposed to symbolize something about my personality but I'm not sure what." Lydia said.

"maybe it's saying you're so scatter brained that you can't tell what goes on in your own head." Lycus said, jokingly.

"I'll show you scatter brained!" Lydia said, grabbing Lycus by the collar.

"All jokes aside…" Lydia's grandfather said "Did you truly unlock the power?

"Yes, I'm sure I did." Lydia said, dropping Lycus on his butt.

"Show me."

"All right…everyone stand back." Lydia said. Her grandfather took two steps backward while Lycus scooted over to him.

Lydia closed her eyes and stood perfectly still, her breathing became steady and deliberate. The air around her began to vibrate and strong pressure entered the room. A large Circle with intricate Runes appeared under Lydia as she began to glow.

"Yes… that's it!"

Lydia was soon enveloped in a cocoon of light which expanded and dissipated. Lydia was now covered in the red ceremonial robes of a Falcon, yellow feathers extending out of the edges of her clothes. "How did I do?" She asked, her expressions being shadowed by the hood.

"S-splendid, my dear! Splendid!" Lydia's grandfather exclaimed and rushed over to her and patted her on her shoulders. "You've really done it! My theory was correct! With this, we may yet be able to harness the power of our ancestors!" He jumped with joy.

Lydia smiled as she saw her grandfather jumping around like a little kid. _"With this, I just might be able to beat that guy…I wonder how Rudi is doing?"_

Taranis held an unconscious Rudi by the throat, still in his beast transformation. "I was expecting a bit more out of you. _I_ didn't even need to transform for this." He threw Rudi across the room, denting the wall as he did so. Rudi then reverted back to his normal self, his clothes still torn up from the initial transformation. "Wake up!" Taranis yelled.

Rudi's eyes flickered open and he looked around in a daze. "Wha…! Father!" Rudi quickly got up and kneeled down. "Um…what happened here?" Rudi said, examining the room and his clothes.

"You unlocked your power, but you could not control it." Taranis explained.

"_could_ not?" Rudi asked.

"When you unlocked your power, it must have come so suddenly and so powerfully that you were not prepared, mentally, to handle it. It's called 'savage beast' for a reason." Taranis began, motioning for Rudi to rise. "When you tap into your hidden strength, you must have the strength of mind to keep the beast inside in check or you risk losing yourself completely. This is especially true as your power grows." Taranis explained.

"I see…" Rudi said. "If I do lose myself, is there a way to bring me back?" Rudi asked.

"As far as we know, no. The only way to fully avoid it is to never transform at all."

"Well then, if it's a beast inside me then I'll just have to tame it." Rudi said, his eyes burning with confidence.

**Dunbarton, Beneath the Chapel**

"Book of Revenge?" Sol read the title out loud as soon as the book was handed to him. "What's it about?"

"It tells the story of Mores, a powerful Druid. He earned his fame for defeating the god of all fomors, Cichol." Kristell explained.

"Cichol…" Sol repeated the name, a chill running down his spine. Sol opened the book and skimmed through various pages. It was basically a rant denouncing humans and portraying them as "beings of chaos" and saying fomors were "beings of Order". "Doesn't sound like the kind of thing you say after defeating a fomor god." Sol commented. "And you're sure he wrote this?"

"Yes, I'm certain." Kristell said. "His full name was Mores Gwidion." Kristell then moved over to a nearby shelf and pulled out several books and stacked them on a nearby table. She then pulled out a small wooden box and turned to face Sol. "This is half of Mores ring Torque. If you drop in the dungeon entrance, you may be able to access the memories within it. You won't get the whole story since it's only half, but it's better than nothing." Kristell said and handed it to Sol.

Sol took it and examined it for a few seconds before stuffing it in his pocket. "Thank you very much. This will definitely help me." As Sol turned to head out the door, Kristell called to him.

"Could you give Tarlach a message for me the next time you see him? Tell him I'll be waiting. Tell him no matter what happens my feelings won't change." Kristell asked. Sol smiled and nodded. He turned around and proceeded to the exit. He grabbed his brown robe and slung it back on, pulling the hood tightly over his head. He picked up the sunglasses and the wig and sighed. Leaving them in the trash, he exited the chapel.

"So now I just need to drop this on the-!" Sol stopped as he exited the chapel and turned to his left. A tall man in a white cloak, white hair, grey eyes and glasses was leaning one the wall next to the doorway. "Well look who decided to enter the picture, I was beginning to think you'd sit this one out." Sol said in a rather calm manner.

"Is that the way you greet the only person on the paladin side who's actually willing to help you. I had to pull a lot of strings to keep the paladin forces from spreading as far as they could have. Without me, they'd be in Tir Chonail by now and you and your rag tag group of friends wouldn't have a hideout now would you?" Gillian said, a mocking smirk on his face.

Sol simply sighed. "Alright, I get it. Thanks." Sol turned to face him, an exhausted look on his face. "Of all the people I could've met, why did it have to be you on that night?"

**7 years ago**

"_Hello! Please, someone!" Sol banged on the door to the paladin HQ as hard as he could. And Unconscious Soma rested on his back. He banged on the door much harder this time. _

"_What? What? What?" a man opened the door, an annoyed expression spread across his face. He wore a white robe, had silvery white hair and oval glasses. "Do you know what time it…Oh my." He examined the two boys in front of him and their damaged armor. _

"_Please, you have to take him." Sol said, out of breath._

"_Okay, okay, follow me." he urged them along and through several halls. "This is the infirmary, you're lucky I was here, most of the others went home by now. I'm Gillian by the way, Glen Gillian."_

_Sol rested Soma on the bed and sat down, taking deep breaths. Sol introduced himself and Gillian offered some tea. After about 30 minutes, Gillian spoke up. "So what happened to you two? You guys look like you've been through the ringer." Gillian said, sipping his tea._

_Sol looked down into his cup and took a deep breath. "I guess I have no choice." Sol recounted his recent experience and the long trek over here._

"_I see, so that's what the light in the distance was all about." Gillian said, grimly. "You should join the paladins! You might be able to-" Before he could finish, Sol cut him off._

"_Didn't I just tell you, I have a fomor spirit in my body. I don't know if I can control it or not. Not to mention this guy wants to kill me." Sol said, jabbing his thumb in Soma's direction._

"_So what are you going to do? Live out in the forest in obscurity, living on nothing but grubs and wild berries that may or may not be poisonous." Gillian asked._

"_Hm…It's an option." Sol said jokingly. "I should get going. I have to prepare for something. Could you…not tell him you met me?" Sol then proceeded out the door. Gillian followed him but stopped at the doorway._

"_If you need help, just ask." Sol turned and looked at him with surprise. "You need someone on the inside right?" Gillian smiled._

"_How do you suppose I contact you?" Sol asked._

"_Send me a message by owl, I have my own box in the coop." (That is what they're called right?) Gillian said. "Just make it discreet." Gillian said._

_Sol contemplated his offer. "I'll sleep on it." Sol said and walked down the street into the night._

**Present, Dunbarton**

"When I said 'discreet' I didn't mean impossible to figure out." Gillian said.

"I asked for help, and you did a good job." Sol said.

"It's only sheer luck that I figured out what you meant. Just saying "Help Me!" with a sad face drawn next to it doesn't tell me what you want." Gillian argued. "The only reason I figured it out was that in a situation like yours, help me means, by default, keep them off my tail. No easy task, considering how you kept jumping up around the continent." Gillian complained.

"guess that explains how soma was able to find me several times." Sol said. "And lets not forget captain River."

"First off, the River incident was caused by your reckless and predictable pattern of movement, and your inability to hide your own footprints." Gillian snapped. The two of them stood nose to nose, staring intensely into each other's eyes. They then burst into laughter.

"All jokes aside, just keep doing what you're doing. And could you uh…" Sol began to ask.

"Yeah, I'll decrease the number of guards at the south gate so exit through there."

Sol smiled and walked away.

"Keep that hood on tight, just because there are less guards, doesn't mean they can't still spot you." Gillian yelled.

**Dear God in Heaven….** This took way longer than I intended. As I said above, thanks to those who have stuck with me this far, I really appreciate it.

I probably won't be continuing this story for a while for two primary reasons.

1) I have another story I want to get a start on that _Should_ be shorter than this one

2) I'm sorta getting bored with this one and I want to take a break from it.

So basically, I'll be focusing on another project.

Anyway, here's this chapters profile

**Captain Glen Gillian:** The only ally on the paladin side that Sol has. He met him when he was still a relatively low rank in the force and managed to win him over. He is known to be very relaxed and prefers to plan strategies from the rear than face enemies on the front line. When Sol sent him a message for assistance (which was done at some point after his encounter with Soma at Sidhe Sneachta) it consisted of the words "Help Me!" with a sad face drawn next to it. Following the reports and sightings of Sol across the known continent, he did what he could to restrict the Paladin's expanse across the country as Sol became a larger priority on the list of problems the Paladins faced. Were it not for him, They would have spread their forces much farther than just Dunbarton.

Well, see you next time! (whenever that is…)


	16. Chapter 16

Hello and welcome back. I've tried sticking to a schedule about when and how I update my stories but I just can't do it! It just doesn't interest me as much as it did a the start! (sigh) Well whatever… Let's push through the next section of this story which, by now, will surely have a completely different ending than the actual G1 story.

By the way, I'm serious about that. This is a self contained story only entailing the key elements present in G1 and will not (or at least not planned) to go into G2 or anything else.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 16: Ashes**

_She didn't know what she was looking at. There was a woman she didn't know on her knees next to a man on the stone floor in a giant room. She couldn't make out his face, but she was certain that it was someone she knew. Warm tears ran down the woman's face, she clasped the man's hand as though it would be the last time she ever would. She couldn't hear his voice, but she could tell the man was talking. She saw him stroke her cheek, saw him give a sad smile, saw the large stalagmite (or stalactite?) on the ceiling crack, and fall towards the two in front of her. She yelled for them to move but they simply embraced and allowed fate to take it's course. Just before the rock impaled them, they disappeared. She was all alone now, surrounded by blackness. As she wondered what she saw, she felt something warm and wet on her face. She realized she was crying as well. Why? As she pondered this question, a voice cried out to her._

"Diana…Miss Diana!" Nora shook Diana awake. "You can't sleep there all day."

"Hm? Nora? What's going on?" Diana sat up. She was on a bench outside the Inn.

"I asked you came out here and fell asleep or something. It's already getting kind of late. Are you alright?" Nora asked.

"Yeah…why?" Diana asked, a yawn escaping her mouth.

"Well…you look like you were crying."

"Crying?"

**Math Dungeon, Late afternoon**

"Hmmm…." Sol looked around the entrance room. "Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary…" Sol walks up the goddess statue altar and looks up. Morrighan is on her knees, a sword plunged into the ground. "Luna…" He mutters under his breath and takes out the ring torque. "Here goes." Sol drops the torque and is enveloped in a blinding light as an invisible force throws him to the ground. "Guahhh!"

"gh…" Sol's eyes fluttered open. He soon realized that he was on his back and, while in the same dungeon, was not in the same room as before. "What the…" Sol felt considerably slower and realized he was covered in a red mages robe. "Oh, don't tell me…" Sol looked around for some kind of reflective surface. Finding nothing around him, he searched his pockets and found a small cheaply made dagger. "Good enough." Sol examined his appearance on the dagger's small blade. He retained his blue eyes and white hair, it's just that he had a lot more of it and was older. He had a average sized mustache, long white hair and had wrinkles that, while not enough to be called a grandpa, said he was at least middle-aged. "Well…it could be worse…I guess." Sol sighed and walked down the steps to the first room. Several different monsters attempted to impede his progress but none were very challenging. He no longer had his katana but he at least had powerful spells to use. Sol waded through his enemies and eventually came to a large room. "Damn…Fighting with just magic is harder than I thought…" Sol was hunched over, breathing heavily. "I'll never…accuse Toran of freeloading ever again…" Sol walked two more steps and an apparition appeared to step out of his body. "What? Oh, this is like from before." Sol recognized the apparition as Mores, or rather his memory playing out in front of him.

The Mores memory fragment sat down, as if tired. "Need to rest…My body has become weak…" Mores took several deep breaths. "I've been this way since I was knocked out… You'd think two months of sleep would make you fell better…" Mores took a look around the room. "This place is like a maze! I need to get out of here… to shiela, to my wife…" Mores stood up and took out a ring torque, the whole version of the half that Sol had. "I promised I'd giver this when I returned…I can't stop now…not when I'm so close to the exit…" Mores tucked the ring torque away somewhere in his robe and ran forward towards the nearest door and disappeared.

"Guess that's my cue." Sol ran in the same direction, blasting through as many enemies that dared to stand in his way. "Geez…why do _I _have to do all the fighting! This is supposed to be a memory right? So why the hell should I be the one who-" Before Sol could finish his rant, He saw a goblin like creature attempt to leap at him. He reacted fast enough, although his body couldn't take it. A painful CRACK was heard when he turned and punched the creature in the face. "Gyahhah! Oh! Oh… my back…" Sol hunched over and placed a hand on his back side. "God damn you father time… Owww." Sol then limped along through the dungeon until he came upon a large set of double doors. "Here we go…"

As soon as the doors opened, the mores apparition appeared once again. This time, he was approached by several armored figures. "Master Mores…" One of them began. "We apologize, but we cannot allow you to exit at this time."

"You…you're only disguised as humans…Who dares get in my way!" Mores yelled in outrage.

The guards tone changed from respectful to ominous. "You are alive, yet not alive. You are considered as good as dead in the human world. Therefore, you cannot return."

Mores grew angry at this statement. "I have no time to waste on you! I'm going back! To Shiela, to my family!" Mores readied a spell and vanished, leaving Sol to take on the armored knights.

"Oh, of course." Sol raised his index finger and a fireball materialized on top of it. "This is gonna suck…" Sol launched the fireball and watched as it incinerated one of the 6 armored soldiers in front of him. The remaining 5 began to close in, swords at the ready. "Come on! Give it your best shot!" Sol taunted. Two armors rushed him and swung downward. Sol leaped back and inch, just in time to avoid the spot where the blades and the ground made contact. He then placed his foot on the tip of both blades, the soldiers trying in vane to remove them. Sol then grabbed each of their helmets and froze them with an ice spell. "3 down, 3 to go." Before Sol could turn around, he was kicked from behind by another armored soldier. "Gyah…ah?" Another crack was heard as Sol's back was knocked back into place. Stumbling forward due to the force of the kick, Sol managed to twirl around, no longer burdened by back pain. "Alright, now the real fun begi-" As Sol managed to channel a large fireball and a large icicle in his hands, the mores apparition appeared again. "Oh come on! I was just getting to the good part!"

"**that's enough…Mores"** A booming voice echoed from behind. Sol instinctively turned and leapt back, mores doing the same.

"Stay back. I will show no mercy to anyone who gets in my way." Mores said in an irritated tone.

"**I can understand why you wish to return…but if you continue, you will surely die." **The source of the voice stepped into the light. He was an immense, heavily armored figure. His helmet bore several intricate markings but no eyeholes to speak of.

"Morgant!" Sol's blood boiled.

"What do you mean?" Mores asked.

"**Are you sure you wish to know? Can you handle the truth I'm about to show you?"** Morgant asked.

"Don't underestimate me." Mores said.

"**Hmhmhmhm….Very well"** Morgant waved his hand and soon, everything faded into darkness. A warm light then began to glow. It was a very violent, brutal orange. Sol could tell it was fire and that something very large was burning. The darkness around them receded a bit and a small cottage was revealed to be the one burning. Sol immediately had flashbacks to his experience at the manor.

"Why is my house in flames! Do you think you can threaten me with parlor tricks!" Mores yelled at Morgant.

"**Calm yourself. It's not my doing."**

As the scene played out, several black cloaked figures appeared out of the tall grass. A woman's screams could be heard as well as the cries of a newborn. "Wha...what madness is this! Why are human soldiers…" The cries were silenced, the house began to collapse, the humans left, blood dripping off their blades. "Shiela! Shiela! My child! Where is my child…"

"**Do you see now? Humans did this. They were frightened of your power, despite your sacrifices during the war."**

"Shiela…" Mores collapsed to his knees.

Sol was taken aback. Without thinking he ran forward, towards the house. He knew full well that he could do nothing but his legs moved on their own. He burst through the door (or what was left of it) and looked around the burning building, searching for the source of the screams. He eventually came upon a prone figure, lying in a pool of blood. Sol walked over and reached out to touch her only to have his hand pass right through her. Sol's breathing became erratic, images of that night flashing through his head. He felt dizzy. Sol immediately covered his mouth with his hand and fell to his knees. "Urgh…Gaha…Gyahhh!" Sol Vomited on the ground, his vision becoming blurry. The burning house melted away and he was back with Mores and Morgant. However, he saw that they were no longer in the same room. They were on a circular stone platform, it was seemingly floating in a sea of darkness.

"Mores, you poor soul…you must be in so much pain." A gentle voice echoed from the other end of the platform.

Sol looked and saw a woman in a long white dress, black hair and wings, and shut eyes. Sol almost said Luna but quickly corrected himself. "Morrighan…"

"you saw what happened, did you not? Humans are such vile creatures aren't they." Morrighan said.

"Goddess…even you have given up on humanity?" Mores asked.

"Humans are violent by nature. They help each other only when it's convenient for them. For this world to survive, they must be destroyed." Morrighan said these words in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. "You understand, don't you? You feel the need for revenge against the humans, the people who betrayed you. Follow me, and you will have your revenge."

Mores trembled, with anger, sadness, or both. "My goddess…Just say the work. I will do whatever it is you ask!" as mores declared this, the goddess smiled and Sol's face was contorted in horror.

"This…this can't be…You can's be serious!" Sol yelled "What the hell did you call me for! LUNA!"

Sol sat up, now in the same dark room in the dungeon. The statue of Morrighan loomed over him. "Damn it…. Damn it!" Sol punched the ground, gritting his teeth.

**Emain Macha** (one night before. Yes we're still on that. I'd better wrap this thing up quick…)

"Hyyya!" Diran punched forward, destroying the wall of a house as Shaosu dodged his blow. "Come on….This'll get boring fast if all you do is dodge!" Diran said in a nonchalant manner.

"_You're one to talk! Ever since we started fighting all you did was parry or dodge our attacks!"_ Shaosu had both his short swords drawn while Nao was standing a few feet behind Diran with her staff at the ready. Shaosu looked at Nao and she nodded. Without warning, Shaosu rushed at Diran while Nao charged in from behind. Shaosu reached Diran first and took several swipes at him, concentrating on his legs in an attempt to knock him off balance. Nao soon joined the fray and made several quick jabs at Diran's head with her staff.

As the flurry of attacks continued, Diran sidestepped another one of Nao's jabs and grabbed the end of her staff. With blinding speed, he pulled her in as he stepped forward so that they were practically shoulder to shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her neck and threw her down. Diran then crouched to avoid another attack from shaosu and then elbowed him in the ribs, stood up and kicked him in the gut, sending the young knight flying backwards into a nearby tree. "Is this really all you've got? I'm not even using weapons! I guess this is what I get for choosing a paladin in training as my next target." Diran looked over to see Nao using her staff to stand up. Diran rushed hover and kneed her in the gut. She staggered backwards against the wall of a house and tried to channel a fire spell. Diran then kicked her in the stomach, keeping his leg there to pin her against the wall and interrupting her spell. "So _you're_ the famous Nao I've heard so much about! Honestly, the pink hair doesn't suit you. I suggest you also try a more varied disguise, like an old woman or maybe young child. They way you are now just stands out a bit too much to be called a 'disguise'". Diran mockingly advised.

"_Damn it…"_ Shaosu shook his head as he got up. _"Why the hell…can't I be stronger!"_ Shaosu looked over and saw Nao pinned against a wall by Diran's foot. "Damn it…Damn it…Damn it!" a white glow enveloped shaosu as he started to transform. Pearly white armor encased him as the light faded. His helmet being the last to form. "I might not be able to hold this form forever, but…it should be enough to beat him!" Shaosu sheathed his two short swords and pulled out his claymore, lightning arcing across the blade. Shaosu then charged at Diran, blade swinging.

"Hm?" Diran heard yelling in the background and looked to find the source. What he got was shaosu in full paladin armor inches away from his face. He instinctively leaped backwards to avoid Shaosu's initial strike. "Now this is what I was waiting for! Come on kid! Give it your best shot!" Diran motioned for Shaosu to attack. Shaosu rushed at him and swung his sword, a wave of lighting shooting out of it. Diran brought his arms up in an ex shape and took the brunt of the attack. Diran grinned and shrugged off the pain. "That's what I'm talking about!" Diran darted forward and was mere inches away from shaosu's face in an instant. Shaosu brought his sword up and blocked Diran's following string, skidding backwards in the process. Shaosu quickly got up and faced Diran who was running at him again.

Shaosu swung his claymore at Diran, forcing him to dodge and sidestep. Inside his helmet, shaosu grinned. _"I have much better range than he does. If I keep this up, I should be able beat him."_ Shaosu kept swinging his swords in wide arcs, trying to tire Diran out. However, on his next swing, Diran leaped up and landed on the tip of Shaosu's blade. "What?" Diran grinned and sprang into the air again. He extended his leg in an attempt to drop his heel down on Shaosu's head. "crap!" Having no time to evade. Shaosu blocked the strike with his forearm. He then grabbed Diran's leg and threw him across the street. "Nice try…" Shaosu said, his arm still shaking from the impact.

"Alright…I guess test time is over for now…" Diran said, picking himself up. "Since you get to transform, it's only fair that I get to, right?" a black aura surrounded diran. "I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of!" A flash of purple-black light and Diran was in his new form. He was covered in a black hooded robe with feathers protruding out of the sides. He had shoes that were pointed at the toes and a sickening aura radiated off of him. "This is what my ancestors would call a falcon transformation." Diran said. "Now let's see how well you handle this!" Diran launched himself forward, his fist extended.

Shaosu barely managed to dodge Diran's blow, his left shoulder pad getting a chunk blown off in the process. "Shoot!" Shaosu immediately turned around and readied his Claymore in time to block several of Diran's attacks. "When did he get this fast!" Shaosu yelled as he continued to parry Diran's strikes, being pushed back in the process.

"Hyaah!" Nao yelled and attempted to strike Diran from behind. Diran shoved shaosu backwards and barely blocked Nao's attack. Nao sidestepped another one of Diran's attacks and jabbed her staff into his ribs. Diran evaded her strike and moved in closer, forcing Nao on the defensive.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Shaosu slammed his claymore down on Diran only to hit the pavement as Diran leaped back. "Bastard's quick!" Shaosu commented. Diran readied his fists and charged forward again.

"Gyaaaaah!" Sai and River leaped to the side as Tanya tried to tackle them, demolishing the wall of a nearby store in the process. "She's liked an ox." Sai said as he landed

"Or a bear…" River added readying his scythe. "You won't win! Not against the two of us!" River taunted.

Tanya picked herself out of the rubble and cracked her neck. "Insects…" She turned to face River and crouched down. Without warning she darted forward with unimaginable speed. River leaped into the air again while Sai simply leaped backwards. Tanya skidded to a halt and dug her hands into the cobblestone street.

"This doesn't look good…" River said as he saw Tanya rip out a large portion of the street. She broke it into two smaller, but still large enough to crush someone, pieces. She threw one up at River and the other at Sai. River effortlessly sliced through it while Sai extended his whip sword and carved it into a dozen pieces.

"It'll take more than that to stop me!" Sai yelled and swung his weapon forward several times, the whip blade carving up a large portion of the street as it flailed around wildly. Tanya raised her arms to keep the strikes from hitting her head. Sai sped up his attacks in an attempt to tire her out but soon observed that his attacks were only scratching her. "Damn…that's some thick skin…"

"Sai, enough!" Sai pulled back his weapon as River charged at Tanya, his scythe pulled back for a wide swing. He felt the blade sink into flesh but then stopped by something unusually hard. River looked up to see the blade of his scythe buried partially into the palm of Tanya's hand. He looked at Tanya's face to see it wince slightly in pain and/or annoyance. She grabbed the scythe, lifted it (and in the process, river) into the air and waved it around until river was flung off of his own weapon. "Haaaaaaah!" River landed face first on the pavement next to sai. "Disgraceful…." river muttered.

"Don't worry sir, everyone has their off days…" Sai said in a comforting tone.

"Don't patronize me…" River got up and saw Tanya toss his scythe away like it was dirty. "Hey! That's one of a kind!"

"Barely worth using as a toothpick…" Tanya smirked.

"Rrrrgh…you little-!" River gritted his teeth as a white light surrounded him.

"Don't you think it's a bit too early for that?"

"I'm unarmed, what other option do I have?" River yelled as power surged through him and the light encased him in intricately designed armor. It looked like shaosu's armor only more pointed and angular. The shoulder pads reached out a little more and the helmet was more elongated. There were also large croppings of what appeared to be fir or feathers sticking out of the areas surrounding the neck and between the shoulders and the torso. "See if you can take on me! One who has obtained the rank of Holy Knight!" River declared.

"guess that's my cue as well." Sai said as a similar glow surrounded him as well. Like before, it hardened and crystallized into armor. He was covered from head to toe in pearly white and intricately designed paladin armor. It's helmet was reminiscent of a bishop chess piece. "I am a white knight! A second level paladin!" Sai stood next to his captain as both braced themselves for combat.

"interesting." Tanya cracked her knuckles and crouched down with her right leg extended backwards. Pushing of the aforementioned limb, she launched herself forward as a black mist completely covered her body and just as quickly dissipated, revealing black skin, tribal markings and brown fur pads on her forearms, shins, and torso. She roared loudly as she spread her arms out slamming them into River and Sai's stomachs.

Sai and River were thrown back, demolishing a house in the process. "Cheeky little…" River muttered an insult under his breath as he shrugged off the rubble. Without warning he dashed forward, grabbing his scythe in the process, and appeared in front of Tanya in seconds. He raised his scythe and began a flurry of slashed made in long arcs. "You can close distance pretty fast! But once that's done you have no place left to run!" River taunted as he slashed at Tanya again and again. Tanya, enraged, grabbed the scythe once again and wrenched it out of River's hands. She then punched river hard in the gut. Despite the overwhelming force, River took it and was still standing. While her fist was still in contact with him, River clasped his hands on Tanya's wrist. "I'm not letting you slip away." River grinned. River moved off to the side and turned to his left so that Tanya's elbow was in reach. He raised his arm up and slammed his elbow down on hers, his paladin powers amplifying his strength enough to break it. Tanya roared in agony as River jumped back. "Sai! Now!"

Sai extended his whip sword and wrapped it around Tanya. He swung it upwards, lifting her into the air and then swung it down, slamming her into the ground, creating a small crater. "Eat it!" he yelled.

"Nice work! I doubt she'll get up after-" River barely finished his sentence when a hug axe twirled past him, just inches away from his face. "What?"

Tanya stood up (barely) bleeding from various parts of her body, her right arm hanging at an odd angle. "You…don't think you've won just yet." Another black mist surrounded Tanya. Coiling around her, the black mist seemed to heal all of Tanya's wounds. She grew larger, stronger, and a red mask covered the upper half of her face.

"Captain…she's stronger than she was before. Almost twice as much." Sai said.

"I guess her transformation is similar to the paladins or the dark knights." River deduced.

Diran looked over and saw Tanya enter the second level of transformation for a savage beast. "I see…I guess it's time to step up a little." Diran grinned under his hood and felt his power grow as he willed it.

"What the hell?" Shaosu said, readying his Claymore.

"Shaosu, ready yourself." Nao cautioned.

Diran's body was surrounded by a purple aura. His clothes seemed to expand and grow until they ultimately burst. What was revealed was a very muscular humanoid body with purple-blue feathers. He still retained his black hood and (thankfully) his pants. "Just as your appearance in paladin form changes as your power grows, so too does the falcon transformation. Under normal circumstances, this form would be called Falcon Justice, but, considering my allegiance, I think it deserves a more fitting name." Diran explained. "I'll call it…Falcon Miasma."

"I though for sure that you were gonna hit me with 'Falcon _in_justice or something." Shaosu taunted before getting a prompt punch in the face, breaking his helmet open and sending him reeling backwards.

"Please…even _I_ have some sense of dignity." Diran said.

Shaosu charged at Diran, lighting coursing through his claymore. As soon as he was in range, Shaosu swung as hard as he could…only to be block by Diran's palm. "What the-!"

"You know something? You were probably the most unremarkable paladin I faced in a long time. You gave it a good go, but it just didn't cut it. Your nothing like _her._" Diran said an image of Lydia passing through his head. Diran clenched his hand around Shaosu's blade and, with almost no effort, crushed it.

"No way…" Shaosu muttered before being punched in the face. Diran made several jabs, all of which were too fast to block, until he finally kicked shaosu, causing him to fly backwards and land at Nao's feet.

"Shaosu!" Nao knelt down to see if he was alright. A wave of relief washed over her when he managed to sit himself up. "You're alright!" She said.

"Yeah, but…" shaosu looked at his claymore which was now broken in half. "Damn it…" Nao placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her. "No worries. I still have these." Shaosu pulled out his dual short swords. He tried to stand up, but it was clear he was completely worn out.

Nao's expression turned serious and she stepped in front of him. "I can still fight. you have to rest." She said.

"HOLD EVERYTHING!" A loud, confident voice echoed through the street. Tanya, River, Sai, Diran, Shaosu and Nao stopped and looked up. On the roof of the adjacent house was a dark silhouette. He leaped down and pulled out a long sword and took a shot at Diran. "Eat this!" Diran effortlessly blocked the strike and the man leaped back. "Not bad. Don't think you've got the upper hand though, just because you blocked my strike!" The man was young, clad in heavy armor and had black hair that spiked up higher than normal. "My name is Tyron, paladin in training and I'll be your opponent next!" he yelled.

**Meanwhile…**

"Haaaaaah!" Soma swung his claymore as hard as he could, clanging against Vulcan's sword in the process. "You say you'll destroy Emain Macha! Don't make me laugh!" Vulcan grinned and then ducked to avoid several arrows. Kai kept up a steady barrage until he was interrupted by Sylvina. She closed in on him and took several swipes at his throat. Soma force Vulcan off his feet and used the opportunity to turn around and grab Sylvina's collar. Just as Vulcan stood up, he was knocked down when Soma threw Sylvina at him. "I won't let you win!" Soma and Kai were immediately surrounded by a bright light. When the light faded, Soma was clad in the armor of a Holy Knight rank paladin while Kai was in the armor of a White knight. "Split up." Soma said calmly. He leaped into the air and slammed his claymore down on a prone Vulcan, crashing through several floors. Kai, before sylvina could react, Kicked her in the ribs and out the window. Grinning, he chased after her.

"Hey! Get back here you coward!" Sera yelled. She and Craig caught ran up to the hole Soma and Vulcan made.

"All right…I'll go back up Kai. You go and help captain Soma." Craig ordered. Sera nodded and leaped into the hole.

Sparks flew as Soma blocked another one of Vulcan's strikes. "Not to bad." Soma gritted his teeth. "You're able to hold your own against a Holy knight without even transforming." Soma mockingly complimented Vulcan's abilities.

"Can it!" Vulcan swung his sword only to end up smashing a desk as Soma effortlessly dodged it.

"Although, you could use some work." Soma appeared behind Vulcan and thrust his sword through Vulcan's chest.

"Gha!" Vulcan coughed up blood as the sword burst through him.

"Captain!" Sera landed on the floor in a crouching position and readied her spear. "I'm her to…help." Soma and Vulcan looked at Sera who, by this point, saw that she wasn't really needed. Soma yanked his sword out of Vulcan's chest and watched him stumble.

"Damn…I got careless…how disgraceful." Blood dripped out of Vulcan's mouth as he staggered forward. He placed a hand on a nearby desk to keep his balance only to tip it over and fall.

"Don't die yet." Soma said in mock concern. "I still have a few questions." Soma roughly kicked Vulcan on to his back and kept his foot on the open wound.

"Gehof!" Vulcan grunted in pain as Soma applied pressure on his open wound. "You sure you're a paladin? You seem a little to brutal to be one." Vulcan said.

"And River is too big of a narcissist to peg him as a knight for justice and Kai owes so many people money, I wouldn't be surprised if a few gang members are on the list. Not everything is so black and white." Soma said.

"you should analyze your own life before you say things like that." Vulcan said.

"What are you getting at?" Soma asked.

"Your Sister, Luna? How she was murdered? That ring any bells?" Vulcan chuckled. Soma's eyes widened. "She was killed by the one person she ever loved and your best friend, right? They seemed really happy didn't they? Doesn't make sense that Sol would just end it all like that, now does it?"

Sera saw that Soma was trembling. "Hey…are you…"

"you ever think that there was a reason Sol killed your sister? Did you ever wonder what that was? No. You didn't. You just automatically assumed the worst and lashed out like a child." Vulcan scolded Soma. The words pierced him like knives. He staggered backwards, dropping his sword. "You ever think that your sister was in the wrong? Did you consider the possibility that maybe _She_ was the one who betrayed you and not _him?_"

"That's…that's…" Soma began to stammer.

"Hey! Captain! Snap out of it." Sera shook him but saw that he wouldn't respond.

"That's impossible! My sister…She would never do anything like that!" Soma yelled in rage.

"Aren't you paladins supposed to be impartial? Never letting your emotions get in the way of your duty?" Vulcan stood up, his wound rapidly healing. "You must consider _every_ possibility before drawing conclusions!"

"shut up…" Soma muttered. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Soma yelled in a rage.

"Captain, please calm down." Sera pleaded. "What in the…?" Sera saw a black aura begin to surround Soma.

"That's it! Let it all out! Your confusion, your rage, your frustration!"

"Shut the hell up!" Soma pushed his hand forward and fired a beam of energy. However, instead of being white like it normally should be, it was black and wild, rage oozing out of it.

Vulcan effortlessly deflected the attack. "That was unexpected." he observed Soma's reaction.

Soma looked at Sera in confusion and then at his hand. A black liquid squeezed out of the joints in his armor and solidified. It seemed to form into the armor for a dark knight. "Ngh!" Soma grabbed his hand and willed for the black substance to recede. It didn't respond until a few seconds later when it finally dissipated.

"Oooh…We may be more alike than I thought." Vulcan said.

Sera glared at Vulcan and charged at him, her spear splintering a nearby desk as he evaded. "coward!" Sera attacked again, this time only scratching the floor.

"Whoa! Down girl!" Vulcan teased. "You should be able to tell you won't be able to beat me. Even if I'm unarmed." Vulcan eyed his Claymore which lay carelessly tossed aside on the floor.

"maybe not like this…" Sera began to glow a brilliant white. "But all I need is a little boost." The light grew to an almost blinding luminescence and then faded to reveal Sera clad in the armor of a Holy knight, similar to what Soma had.

"My, my, my…aren't you supposed to be automatically promoted to captain if you've achieved holy knight status among the paladins?" Vulcan asked. "Oh! I know, you must've screwed up somehow and got demoted huh?" Sera responded by nearly skewering Vulcan's head. Vulcan felt blood trickle down his cheek.

"I don't have to answer your questions!" Sera yelled. _"The reason I haven't been promoted is because I can't hold this form for more than an hour or so, but he doesn't have to know that."_ Sera readied her spear and charged in again.

"Stand still, damn it!" Kai yelled in frustration as he fired arrow after arrow at Sylvina who was leaping from rooftop to rooftop. She began to think he wasn't even aiming at this point. "RRRAAAAAAAGGHHHHGH!" Kai had completely lost it.

"He's like a wild animal." Sylvina said, taking a peak out of the chimney she had taken cover behind. "He's just shooting them off randomly now." She watched as Kai just went on yelling and shooting. Sylvina sighed. "I guess I better end this." Just as she was about to move, and armored hand burst out from the roof and grabbed her by the ankle. "Huh?" The hand was followed by Craig, who also burst from the roof, with a grin on his face.

"Hey Kai!" Craig yelled.

Kai whipped around, a manic look in his eye as he saw Sylvina held up like a target. "Die!" He prepped a glowing arrow and let it fly. Halfway on it's course to it's intended target, the arrow then split into five bolts of light which seemed to expand in volume.

Craig and Sylvina both looked worried. "Hey, Kai! Don't you think that's overkill! I'm here too!"

"I'll remember you when my captain takes your position!" Kai yelled.

"You treacherous son of a-" Craig was silenced out by a loud explosion as all 5 bolts hit their target.

"Ha! Yes! I win!" Kai punched both his fists up in the air in victory. Just when it seemed appropriate to play that victory music form Final fantasy, a dagger flew out of the smoke and just barely missed his head. "Huh?"

Sylvina fell out of the cloud of smoke, clothes torn up and parts of her hair were singed. She had a killer look in her eye. "Close…" Sylvina landed elegantly on the roof of a nearby building. "…but no cigar." She readied more knives in each of her hands.

Craig landed flat on his face next to Kai, damaging the shingles on the area of the roof he landed on. "Aw, you survived." Kai said in a disappointed manner. "I mean….Oh! You survived." Kai's tone changed from one of disappointment to confidence.

"I'll…remember this… the next time you're recommended… for a promotion." Craig said, using his sword to support his weight as he got up.

"Hey…no need to be so hasty…" Kai said, nervously.

"We'll talk later." Craig said, turning to face Sylvina. Kai did the same, a more serious look in his eyes. "No more games." Craig launched himself at Sylvina while Kai launched several arrows over his head to provide support.

Sylvina threw the knives she had which intercepted and destroyed all of Kai's arrows. She then drew two slightly larger knives and blocked Craig's attack. The two of them struggled against each other. Craig used strong, crushing blows while Sylvina used very swift precise strikes, occasionally taking time to block one or two of Kai's arrows as he continued to fire them. In the end, however, it was clear that the battle would end in a draw as Craig couldn't land a solid hit, Kai's arrows only succeeded in getting swatted away and Sylvina, while making solid contact, didn't hit anything other than armor.

"This'll require a little extra force." Sylvina leaped back after dodging another one of Craig's attacks. An inky black substance surrounded her arms and made their way down to her hand and eventually her knives. It coiled around the blade until the glistening steel was covered by black. The substance then took the form of the blade and grew to nearly twice It's size and also grew jagged edges that looked as though they could rip through steel in minutes. "Round two." Sylvina charged forward.

**Outside Dumbarton (present day)**

Sol sat on one of the many haystacks that were present among the farming area outside the walls of the city. He had made sure that he was out of sight from the archers stationed at the very top of the wall. "What does all of this mean? Is Morrighan helping the dark knights?" Sol muttered to himself. He looked up at the grey sky, wondering if it was going to rain soon. "If she is helping them…gah, there's no way…It just doesn't make sense." Sol leaned forward a little bit, trying to get comfortable. "perhaps…" Sol contemplated doing something he _really_ didn't want to do. He didn't want his help, he couldn't trust him. But it had to be him. Sol sighed heavily and leaned back a little further. He took one last look at the archers and quickly ducked behind cover. He looked around and saw a wagon with a large abundance of hay. Sol made his way over, keeping his face hidden, and slowly crawled in so as not to draw any attention to himself. "If I'm going to do this…I can't be interrupted." When Sol made sure that no part of him was sticking out, he closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and looked deep within himself. He felt himself falling into a black abyss. He looked down and saw a bright light. He shut his eyes as it grew brighter…

_**Inside Sol's…uh…Soul…**_

_Sol opened his eyes and looked around. "this place again…" Sol was sitting on a large throne wearing extravagant and expensive looking clothes. Next to him was a woman dressed in a similar fashion but with a veil over her face. He looked ahead of him to se a large ball being held, or about to be held. Everyone at the "party" was wearing masks and were all frozen in place, as if time had stopped. Some looked like they were chatting while others were in mid dance. _

"_Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" a very cheery, yet creepy, voice echoed through the room. Sol heard gears churning as a rope was lowered from the ceiling. On the rope was a man in a green and blue jester's outfit, complete with that bell cap thing. Twirled a small metal baton in his left hand and had an obnoxious grin on his face. Sol was more disturbed by it in that the jesters face looked exactly like his. Sam white hair, same age, same slightly pale complexion. The only thing that was different were the gleaming yellow eyes. "It has been too long since I last saw you, my friend!" the jester yelled._

"_Cut the act, Vice…I need answers." Sol said, sternly._

"_The king needs answers from the fool! How amusing!" Vice yelled at the top of his lungs and laughed. "Maybe you should be the one telling the jokes, sire, not I." Vice continued to play his role, hopping around like a maniac._

_Sol lost his patience and stood up. He rushed at Vice and grabbed him by the collar. "Listen you little-" before Sol cold finish, Vice's expression turned serious. Vice gripped his baton tightly and thrust it into Sol's stomach. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards and landing roughly into his throne, clutching his stomach._

"_You really need to learn to relax…milord…" Vice said it as more of a threat than a suggestion. "What you need is a nice woman to satisfy you. That's what they all say, right?" _

_As if on cue, the woman on the throne next to Sol stood up and went over to him. She seemed to examine him for injuries and caressed his face in worry. When Sol looked at her, she lifted her veil. "Ngh!" Sol saw Luna staring back at him, her warm smile spread across her face. As the memories flooded Sol's memories, he shoved her away, knocking her down, her face turning away from him. _

"_aw, what's the matter? Luna not doing it for you anymore?" Vice said in a mocking tone. "Oh, I know! Maybe it's that new girl you want?" When the woman got up, she looked at sol again, this time with Diana's face. "It's been seven years after all…No one would blame you if you found a different girl." _

_Sol stared at the woman who held Diana's face. When she took a step towards him, she disappeared, along with the crowd of masked party goers. The large throne room collapsed into nothingness, leaving just Sol and Vice. Neither of them were in their costumes anymore. Sol wore thin steel pads over his black clothing, his Katana strapped to his side. Vice wore the exact same thing, except inverted, like a mirror. "No. More. Games." Sol said, drawing his sword. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you are going to answer them to their fullest, understand?"_

"_Why should I even cooperate. You haven't exactly been a team player when it comes to me…" Vice pointed out._

"_you know what? I don't have to ask you. Since we share the same mind, the information you're keeping from me is like memories I'm trying to remember. I just have to pin you down, and rip all those memories out of that head of yours." Sol threatened._

"_Hm…when you put it that way, I guess I will answer you." Vice said, casually._

"…_Nah, I like my idea better." Sol charged at Vice, their katanas sparking against each other._

**Emain Macha**

Craig sailed through the air, crashing to the cobble stone street below. His armor was cracked and dented, his body was scratched and bruised. He struggled to get up until Sylvina landed on him after she leaped from the roof she was on. Sylvina examined Craig to make sure he really was incapacitated and then glared at Kai.

Kai gulped as he readied an arrow, he took aim at Sylvina…and ran. "Screw…this…crap…." Kai said as he ran. "There's…gotta be…another way …to end all this…" as soon as Kai finished Sylvina landed several feet in front of him. "crap!" Kai readied another arrow and fired. It was effortlessly swatted out of the air by Sylvina.

"You really are a bit unusual for a knight. Your brash, cowardly, and annoying. How did someone like you get into the paladins?" Sylvina asked.

"well…being a descendant of a war hero kind of helps…" Kai said, scratching the back of his head.

"Hmph…I understand." As sylvina prepared to charge at Kai, Vulcan and Sera burst through the roof they were standing on. Vulcan was blocking Sera's spear with his newly recovered sword. Sera glared at him with gritted teeth as she channeled a lighting bolt at the tip of her spear. Yelling, she let the lightning bolt loose, electrocuting Vulcan and sending him soaring into the air.

"Lord Vulcan!" Sylvina leaped up and caught Vulcan as he fell.

"Sera!" Kai held out his arms to catch Sera.

Sera landed, feet first, on Kai's face. She stepped off and knelt down to see if he was injured. "You hurt?" She asked.

"Just my pride…" Kai muttered. Both of them stood up and watch as Sylvina and

Vulcan landed across from them, Vulcan's arm was around Sylvina for support.

"And here I though you hated me." Vulcan said, breathing heavily.

"My brother would've wanted me to carry out my duty, regardless of how I felt, personally." Sylvina said, slamming her heel down of Vulcan's foot.

"Urgh…yeah… I get it…" Vulcan said, pain shooting through his leg.

"Can you fight? If you can't even stand on your own, I suggest you fall back." Sylvina stated.

"Can you fight them both on you own?" Vulcan asked.

"I think so…"

'I thought you guys were at the Paladin HQ." Kai said.

"What are you talking about? Of course we are. Your on it's roof! Are you telling me you didn't notice?" Sera said, perplexed.

"Well I didn't pay attention considering I was being chased by the enemy. Oh, and Craig is knocked out by the way."

"Well that's just perfect…If captain Soma doesn't get himself together soon, we could be in serious-" Soma leaped out of the hole in the roof, his claymore raised over his head. "Never mind.

"Haaaaaaaa!" Soma slammed his claymore down on Vulcan and Sylvina. Sylvina rolled away as Vulcan leaped to the side. Soma's claymore sliced through the roof, and several rooms below it, demolishing the building the 5 of them were standing on. "Damn!" Soma darted out of the room through the doorway before it collapsed.

"Captain!" Sera and Kai landed next to Soma.

"You really need to learn to pace yourself. You pretty much destroyed half the classrooms for the academy." Kai said. Soon, the three of them heard loud growls and moans. "Oh god…" Kai face palmed as several mind controlled citizens surrounded them.

"I think it's best that we leave them to the thralls." Vulcan said.

"I agree. It'll give us time to recover." Sylvina said.

"Guahh!" Tyron was thrown through the air and landed with a painful sounding thud next to Nao and Shaosu.

"Well that was mildly entertaining." Diran said, clapping the dirt off his hands. "Is there anyone else coming in or is that all?" Diran waited for any more grandiose entrances. "No? all right then.." He cracked his knuckles and advanced on Shaosu, Nao, and Tyron.

"Damn it…" Shaosu gritted his teeth. "How the hell do we get out of this?"

As Diran drew closer, several sections of a blade connected by a steel wire surrounded and wrapped itself around him. "Huh?" The whip sword, obviously, came from Sai. Sai lifted Diran into the air and flung him away so that he landed next to Tanya who was also fighting River.

"You can still move, right?" Sai asked. The three of them nodded. "Then get in the theater and stop that music, we don't know how much longer we can keep this up!"

"Sai! Help! Why did you send both of them to me!" River yelled as he struggled to fight off both Diran and Tanya.

"Yes sir!" Shaosu, Nao, and Tyron all got up and ran towards the theatre entrance.

Soma, Sera, and Kai rammed through the mob of people as they made their way to the theatre. "The original plan still applies. Head to Rua's pub and beat the crap out of whoever's responsible." Soma yelled.

"I already know who…" Kai said

Adrian's score was reaching a crescendo as he continued to play. He heard the sounds of battle occurring outside the theatre as Shaosu and the others battled Diran and Tanya. He moved his focus over to Soma and his group. He recognized Kai's presence drawing ever closer. "This will bring an end to everything…isn't that right? Mai?" Adrian glanced at Mai who remained as unresponsive as ever. He still continued to wonder what made her react on her own earlier in the day. It may be his own natural sense of paranoia but he had a feeling that he may have done too well of a job of reanimating her corpse. He focused on his music for a few minutes, pushing his worries out of his mind. _"enough stalling…"_ Adrian was sure that he had a good grip on every non-paladin in the city limits. "Time for the grand finale!" Adrian's music switched from a very rapid and insane rhythm to one that was deep, slow, and ominous. "Ashes to ashes."

As Soma, Sera, and Kai waded through the throngs of enslaved citizens, a large wave of heat washed over them. "What in the-!" Soma turned and saw that one of the houses across from him had burst into flames, some of the citizens had torches in their hand. "Why now!" All of the people were dividing their focus between slowing down Soma's trio, burning flammable objects and finding the tools to do it with.

"This is just perfect!" Kai yelled. There was no way they would be able to save the city at this rate. The fire would spread too quickly to be put out with conventional methods and the theatre was still 5 blocks away. "We're screwed…." As the three of them continued to push forward, they were immediately surrounded by a large ring of light. "Whoa!" The ring seemed to form some kind of barrier that began to expand every second, pushing back the mob. Kai looked up and saw a man in a white hooded robe floating high above them.

"That's…" Soma squinted and saw the man's white hair and blue eyes. He would've mistaken him for Sol if he didn't know better. "Gillian!" Soma grinned. Gillian grinned back and floated down. Soma and the others approached him as he landed. "Good to see you again, old friend." Soma ran up to Gillian and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I suggest we skip the pleasantries." Gillian said in a casual tone. "we've got a city to save." Gillian stepped passed Soma and raised his finger. The circular barrier turned into a rectangular one and extended. It pushed back to large mob and cleared the road for Soma and the others. "Go on, I've got things covered here." Soma nodded and ran forward towards the theater. Kai and Sera followed a second later. Gillian watched as the three of them ran. "You've really grown, kid."

**Dunbarton, temporary paladin HQ, Present day**

Gillian took a sip of tea and set his cup and saucer down on the table. He had set up an appointment with Marina Mason, the captain stationed in this town. He looked around the small office. It was very standard, four shelves of books, a desk with an accompanying chair, a center table and two couches, (one of which he was sitting on) and the ticking of a clock was all that could be heard. "it's so peaceful here…hard to believe last night I was fighting for my life." As soon as Gillian finished that sentence, the doors burst open, Captain Mason stepping in. Gillian recognized her instantly. She had the same purple hair tied into a knot that sort of looked like a pineapple. She was pale and looked exhausted, probably due to the paper work caused by all the refugees coming in from Emain Macha. Nonetheless, she returned his smile with one of her own. He remembered how vibrant she was back when they were still in training. Back then, he didn't believe she could get tired, and now… "Rough day?" he asked.

"You should know the answer to that already…" Marina sat down on her chair and placed her wooden sword on her desktop. "So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Marina said, getting right to the point. "Lord knows I already have enough to deal with…"

"Come on, captain! Don't be so rude!" Ellaina, the spirit sealed inside Marina's sword manifested sitting on the desk. "You guys are supposed to be friends, aren't you?"

"don't get so worked up Ellaina." Gillian said. "Marina's like this to everyone."

"All jokes aside…" Marina's expression became serious. "are the reports true? Is Emain Macha really gone?"

Gillian leaned forward in his seat so that his elbows were resting on his legs. "It's not really gone, per say…About three fifths of the city is rubble and ash, and the remaining two fifths are just stores and apartments." Gillian paused to let the info soak in. "The paladin HQ is pretty much done. It was one of the first structures to be destroyed in the fire. The way things are progressing, Dunbarton may just become our new home branch…"

"I see…and what of Soma and his squad? I haven't heard any news about him since the attack." Marina asked.

"Don't tell me you still have a crush on him…" Gillian teased. He then ducked to avoid Marina's pen which lodged itself into the couch like a dart.

"What's this? Madam captain had a crush on captain soma!" Ellaina lighted up with this newfound piece of gossip.

"It's not what you think!" Marina yelled defensively.

"That's what they _all_ say…" Ellaina said, mockingly.

Marina slumped back down on her chair "_why_ did you have to bring that up?"

A light chuckle escaped Gillian's mouth before he got back on topic. "I haven't seen Soma or the others after I helped them get to the theatre. He probably just ran off to chase the dark knights. He's strong and has good people with him. He should turn up eventually." Gillian gave a reassuring smile. "Here's a copy of my report on the situation if you want all the little details." Gillian pulled out a moderately thick packet and handed it to marina.

**Emain Macha, In front of the Theatre, Night of the attack**

River and Sai stood side by side, their armor was heavily damaged, dented, and cracked. Shaosu and Tyron were behind them, on their knees due to exhaustion and Nao using healing spells to help. Diran and Tanya stood across from them. Diran's hood was torn off and there were holes in his clothes but, aside from a few bruises, was otherwise, fine. Tanya had patches of fur missing and blood leaked out of several cuts suffered from her earlier brawl with River and Sai, but seemed to just shrug it off.

"Sir…I don't think we can keep this up for much longer…" Sai said. "we have to retreat! The city is lost!" His voice was rising to a panic.

"Come on, are that tired?" a voice echoed through the street.

Diran raised his hand and caught an arrow just before it reached his head. "Hm?" Diran and Tanya looked up and saw Kai grinning at them from on top of a nearby house. "Did I miss anything?" Soma and Sera leaped up from behind him and landed in the street, their weapons drawn.

"More lambs to the slaughter." Tanya commented.

Diran looked at Soma and saw a brief flicker of black in the whites of his eyes. Soma winced and rubbed his eyes as if they were itchy. Diran grinned. "Interesting…"

"Diran?" Tanya gave him a quizzical look.

"Here comes round 2, Tanya. Focus." Diran took a combat stance and faced Soma and Sera.

"As if you need to tell me." Tanya faced River and Sai. "Let's finish what we started, you two."

"Kai! Head into the -" Before Soma could finish, Kai was already a few feet away from the door of Rua's pub.

"Damn!" Tanya wheeled around but was stopped by Diran.

"I said _focus, _Tanya! Adrian can take care of himself!" Diran yelled.

Tanya took one last glance as Kai kicked open the double doors to the pub and cursed as she blocked simultaneous attacks from River and Sai.

**Inside Rua's pub (finally…)**

Kai entered Rua's pub with an arrow already pulled back on his bow. Rua's pub was surprisingly empty. Kai had expected to get mobbed or stabbed in the back. Kai immediately turned around to see if he jinxed himself at that last thought. Upon finding no one, he turned back around and continued further in. The piano music grew louder as he walked. The melody was ominous and haunting. Kai followed the music to a large set of double doors. He opened them and saw a make shift theatre in front of him. Various chairs of different design were set up in rows around a raised, circular area in the center of the room with a spotlight shining over it and a piano sitting in it's center. As Kai walked towards the piano, something caught the corner of his eye. He looked to his left and saw a small bar was set up in the corner of the room with undisturbed bottles of liquor glistening on the shelf behind the counter. He saw two figures there. One was a large man with long black hair and a beard and the other, sitting at one of the stools, was a woman with long ruby red hair dressed in a very skimpy outfit. _"Lucas and…Rua?"_ They didn't seem to notice him. _"I'd better keep my distance. I don't want to have to fight them."_ Kai continued his advance towards the piano and could clearly see someone playing it. He clenched his fist upon seeing the slicked back red hair and the fancy tuxedo. "Found you…" Kai muttered. "I was wondering how I was going to find you!" He yelled. "And now you fall right into my lap!" Despite Kai's taunts, Adrian simply continued to play. "What's the matter?" Kai was at the very base of the circular area Adrian was playing on. "Cat got your tongue?" When Kai took a single step onto Adrian's stage, Mai exploded out of the floor directly behind him. "Huh?" Mai grabbed Kai by the collar and flung him across the room. Kai plowed through several rows of chairs until he crashed into the wall. "Urgh…" Kai clutched his head as he stood up. She saw Mai ready her axe defensively to protect Adrian. Kai remembered Adrian's words from when they last met.

"_Go ahead, do it! But if you do you'll kill your sister along with me! The seal binds not just her body but her soul to me as well. I'm basically the only thing keeping her in this world. When I die, then she dies, eliminating any chance you have of returning her to normal!"_

"I can't kill you…at least not yet." Kai readied his bow and arrow once again. "but I can at least capture you!" Just as Kai took aim, Lucas appeared in front of him with his claymore raised. "Wha-!" Kai sidestepped Lucas' attack and switched his target to him. "damn, I didn't see him. Sorry big guy." Kai shot his arrow at Lucas' leg, crippling him. Lucas clutched his leg and fell on his side. Kai heard someone running towards him from behind and sidestepped the oncoming attack. He saw the flash of red hair and knew it was Rua, a kitchen knife in her hand. "Oh crap." Mai leaped forward and landed next to Rua. The two girls turned to face Kai, their weapons ready. "Why do I always get the short end of the stick?"

"Why do I always get the short end of the stick?" Sera muttered under her breath as she blocked one of Diran's punches. She shoved him backwards and pointed her finger at him. A ball of fire formed at the tip and was launched forward. Diran rolled out of the way only to be stopped by Soma who began slashing at him with his claymore.

"Your swings are too broad!" Diran taunted as he continued to evade soma's attacks. "That's the trouble with huge claymores like that." Diran sidestepped one more time and grabbed Soma's wrist as the tip of his sword touched the ground. "Too easy." Diran twisted Soma's wrist to make him release his grip. Diran pulled Soma in closer and slammed his fist straight across his face.

Soma skidded across the street and ground to a halt next to shaosu and Nao. "Anytime would be great, you know." Soma said as he stood up.

"My claymore is broken and my two short swords are lodged in a wall somewhere, what the hell do you expect me to do!" Shaosu yelled. As soon as he yelled out that last complaint, several large explosions roared around them. Several pillars of smoke slithered across the sky like black snakes. "This is bad… captain, do you have a spare…Sir?" Shaosu looked at Soma who stared wide eyed at the pillars of smoke and at the red orange glow of the burning town.

Soma stared at the rising flames almost hypnotically. Images of his old home, of Shang, Lyna, captain Saitou, and all the others who perished on that night. He remembered seeing Sol standing over Luna's body, blood dripping off the tip of his blade. For that one instant, that one tenth of a second, Soma's red eyes turned yellow, like that of a demon. Soma was brought back into the real world as Diran slammed his fist into Soma's face. "Don't turn your back on your enemy!" Diran yelled.

More explosions rang out in the back ground, the ground shook after each one. "What the hell is Captain Gillian doing!" Sera asked.

Sai dodged another one of Tanya's axes and shielded his eyes from the rock and dirt that flew up due to the impact. "Damn it, Kai…Hurry it up in there!"

Kai dodged several stabs from Rua and slashes from Mai. The entire interior was being covered in dents, holes and splintered wood. Kai tried to aim at the piano but each time he had a good shot he was either stopped before he could attack or had it deflected. Kai decided that it was better to focus on the threats a few feet in front of him and grabbed Rua's wrists. He wrenched the knife from her hands and kicked her into a set of chairs. _"Sorry about that…"_ Kai then turned to face Mai who was a mere two steps away from him and an axe high in the air. Kai stepped back just as Mai swung down, jamming her axe into the floor. Kai then leaped up, using Mai as a stepping stone and finally had his shot at the Piano. Kai readied three arrows on his bow and launched all three of them. Adrian spotted them and changed the melody of his song. A dome of fire appeared and incinerated the arrows. "Damn… oh wait." As soon as Adrian switched back to controlling his thralls, the dome disappeared. Kai landed right behind him and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Kai heard Adrian yell in surprise and slammed his face down on the keyboard of the piano. He looked over to Mai and saw that she was standing completely still.

"Mai!" Adrian yelled. "what are you waiting for! Kill him!" Adrian yelled. Mai didn't move. _"Damn…what the hell is going on! Is it the piano? No, I'm sure she also responds to my voice as well as the piano so why?"_ Adrian's thoughts raced through his head as Kai grabbed both his arms and pressed them against his back. Kai grabbed a piece of rope hanging on his belt and tied Adrian's hands together. He threw Adrian on the floor and breathed heavily.

"It's over…" Kai turned over to Adrian's piano and pulled out a short sword. Kai raised it and slashed at the piano keys. He hacked away at the piano again and again, pieces of wood spraying out in all directions. Kai slashed at the legs and hacked at the strings. Before long, you wouldn't be able to tell what the thing was if you didn't watch it's destruction right before your eyes. "That should do it…" Kai looked over at Adrian who was still yelling at Mai to help him while Mai herself did nothing but stand there. Kai walked over to Adrian and lifted his foot up. He then brought his heal down, hard, on the back of Adrian's head, knocking him out. He then walked over to Mai and examined her.

Mai's silver hair was all split and tussled from the fight. Her black hooded cloak was torn and shredded, revealing several (dented) steel pads underneath. Kai reached one of his hands up to her cheek and stroked it lightly. "Don't worry…" he said. "…Things will be just like they used to…I promise." He turned over to Lucas who had fallen unconscious, either through blood loss or having the mind control broken, with the wound on his leg bleeding profusely. "Sorry about this, big guy…" Kai placed one hand on Lucas' upper thigh and another on one end of the arrow. Kai counted to three in his head and yanked out the arrow in one powerful pull.

Immense pain shot through Lucas' entire body, causing him to wake up and yell at the top of his lungs. "gyaaaaaa! What the hell!" Lucas clutched at his bleeding leg as Kai attempted to calm him down. "You! You did this! This is about the money you owed me, isn't it? God damn it!"

"Easy there, if I was willing to shoot at you to end my debt, I'd have done it years ago." Kai pulled out a roll of bandages and began to wrap it around Lucas' wound. "This should slow the bleeding down enough till we can get a healer in here. Just don't move around much." Kai explained. He went over to Rua who was still unconscious. He checked to see if she was seriously injured and let out a sigh of relief once his suspicions were proven false. He then turned back over to the unconscious Adrian and began dragging him across the room and towards the lobby. "I'm going to enjoy interrogating you far more than I should…" Kai muttered to himself.

Diran and Tanya stood back to back as the paladins slowly surrounded them. Both sides were incredibly worn down and exhausted. The street they were fighting in and the building closest to them were torn up and destroyed. Diran's eyes darted around at each of the knights. Soma, who had retrieved his claymore, stepped forward, killing intent raged in his blood red irises. Diran was staring down Soma when a very peculiar feeling jolted through his body. His face contorted into a scowl. _"Looks like little Adrian screwed up. We may have to call a retreat._" Diran looked around him and observed the damage. _"not that it matters at this point. We've done what we came here to do, I suppose."_ Diran relaxed his stance and clapped his hands repeatedly. "I must commend you, sir knight! You've done a valiant job by standing up to our power. So sad that it was all for naught." Diran gestured to the destroyed street and the destruction through out the city. Before any of them could respond, a black cloud surrounded Diran and Tanya. Recognizing this as a teleportation spell, Soma and Sera both rushed forward to get in a killing strike. Before they even got within striking range Vulcan and Sylvina leaped down from the sky and knocked them back. "How did you know we needed transportation?" Diran asked.

"I didn't." was all that Vulcan said. Vulcan turned and stared straight into Soma's eyes. He noticed they, once again, flickered yellow. _"I'm very interested in how _he_ will turn out."_ A few seconds later and the quartet of dark nights were gone. All that was left was black smoke where they once stood.

**Dunbarton Paladin temporary HQ (present day)**

"And what were you doing while they were fighting?" Marina asked.

"Like I said, I was trying to restrain the populace from destroying any more property. However… I couldn't account for the entire city and I was unable to minimize the damage."

"So after that, the Dark knights just left? They came in, destroyed most of the city and then leave like nothing happened!" Marina yelled, slamming the Gillian's report on the desk.

"It's not like they were just trying to piss us off. I suspect that's actually _part_ of the reason this assault took place, but there's a main reason. Our home HQ is gone, along with most of the records not already copied and distributed through our other bases and outposts. One of the largest and most influential cities on the continent is crippled, and we're now forced to content with the dark knights _and_ getting the refugees a new home." Gillian paused. "Then there's the way the plan was executed. Whatever kind of magic they were using, they gained control of the populace and used them to attack us, the one who swore to protect them. This ensured that, unless we wanted to be called murderers, we wouldn't fight at our full strength and would remain vulnerable to their attacks. We thought we were so safe in Emain Macha and this was our very rude wake up call." Gillian stated these facts calmly and without emotion.

"So why do you seem so calm. You almost look optimistic." Marina stated.

"I might not look it, but I consider myself a kind of humanitarian. Our history is plagued with war, violence, discrimination, and misfortune. But we've always managed to pull through, with or without the help of outside sources. This little incident is one black spot among many through out our existence." Gillian stood up and walked over towards the window behind Marina. He looked out across Dunbarton. The main square was stuffed with refugees and local residents offering help and aid. "We look at this tragedy now and see a black pit filled with nothing but despair. But in the future, we will see this as one of the many trials that has made man kind stronger than it was the day before. We will recover from this, Marina." Gillian turned from the window and looked his friend square in the eyes. The light from the sun began to shine through the clouds and through the window. "And when we do, we will stand up stronger than ever."

**Sol's head**

Sol and Vice's blades sparked in the black abyss they were fighting in. Sol struck and Vic viciously until, finally, he knocked the parasitic demon down and pinned him to the "ground". Sol sat on Vice's chest and pinned his arms down with his knees. Sol then pressed the edge of his blade against Vice's throat. Vice simply gives him and exasperated and annoyed look. "You done?" he asks.

"Yeah…I guess I am." Sol responded.

"good. We've wasted enough time as it is." the black world they were in was blown away, revealing a brightly lit wooden room. Sol stood up and looked around. Several large shelves were packed to the brim with books of varying shapes and sizes. "This is where I've stored all that I know. I won't let you look at everything, but I'll give you just enough to get you through this little ordeal of ours." Vice stood up and walked over to one of the shelves and began examining it's contents.

Sol walked over to a nearby window and looks out of it. He sees a clear blue sky and a grass field that seemed to go on for an eternity. He saw mountains looming in the distance. "This place is surprisingly cheerful for someone like you." sol comments. When he turns around, he is no longer wearing his combat attire. He wore a long black coat and pants with a white under shirt. He saw that Vice was in a fancy looking, black and white striped tuxedo. Vice motioned for Sol to come over, three books stacked in his hand. "Take a look at these." Vice placed the three books on a wooden table and took a seat.

Sol looked at them with caution. "are you sure these are safe. After all that's happened to me so far, I wouldn't be surprised you booby trapped these things somehow.

"Well, I guess I could get back at you for using me as a stress reliever a minute ago, but I just don't have the time. Just read through these books and get it over with." Vice said. "But you might want to speed it up. That hay cart you buried yourself in? it's moving."

Sol arched an eyebrow and staggered as the room seemed to jerk sideways. He looked out the window and saw the countryside moving to the right.

**Real Life**

Sol popped his head out of the hay stack and rubbed his eyes. He pulled himself out of the cart and landed with a thud on the road. "God…I have the worst choice in hiding spots." Sol laid there on the dirt path just staring at the sky overhead. "No use staying here." Sol stood up and turned towards the forest. "I should be able to make it back to Tir Chonail by sundown." Sol sighted and walked forward.

**TBC….**

Hey…I just realized that the long vertical lines I use to separate scenes in my chapters doesn't show up on . That must've made for some awkward transitions between the end of a chapter and my closing comments….

Anyway…See ya next chap!


	17. Chapter 17

Yes, I'm still alive. Hey, and welcome to chapter 17. I would like to take this moment to say that we are getting close the final quarter of this story. The ending has been cemented and all that's left is to actually make it there. Hopefully, the final stretch won't be as rough as I expect it to be…

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 17: Determination**

_It was dark, as dark as it could get. Two heavily armored soldiers stood to the side as a person in the center was chained down. I suppose "person" isn't the right word to describe it. It had the shape of a person but his skin was made of an inky black material not much different to the room itself. He had piercing yellow eyes that shined like embers in a fireplace. He looked up at a tall, imposing figure in black and white robes, and glorious white wings. His face was obscured by his hood. _

_** "I must admit…I didn't expect you to mobilize your forces so quickly."**_ _The hooded figure said in a cold and sadistic voice. __**"However, despite catching my forces off guard, it amounted to nothing with such an unorganized group. You should know better than to trust in demons."**__ A deep chuckle echoed through the room._

_ "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." The creature chained to the ground stated in a sarcastic tone. "So…what grandiose punishment have you set up for me? Eternal hellfire? An eternity of acid being poured onto my face in small but agonizing doses?"_

_ Cichol simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue amulet. __**"For you…one who feeds off of others…one whose only power is to take and absorb…You shall have absolute solitude."**__ The amulet began to glow as Cichol stepped forward. He shoved it into the creature's chest and watched as he writhed and yelled in agony as he was sucked into the blue crystal. In minutes, the binding ritual was done. __**"For you vice…There is still one thing that I can use you for."**_

**Sol's head**

Sol flipped through the books that Vice had given him. They were mostly accounts of Mores and his research notes. As he continued on through, they all started becoming more anti-human. Vice explained that, after his experience in the dungeon, he tried to rally the fomors into battle. Sol glanced up from the book he was currently reading and saw Vice staring out of the "window" of this mental library. "You look unusually contemplative. What's on your mind?" sol said with mock concern.

"Just reminiscing…" Vice said.

"about what?"

"Why I'm still here." Vice turned from the window and took a seat in front of Sol.

"Hey…What is Glas Ghaibhleann?" Sol asked, pointing to the heading on the page he was reading.

"It's a…wait…you might want to wake up." Vice said.

**Real World**

Sol's eyes flashed open to see a bear about to slam his paw down on top of him. Sol rolled out of the way and drew his katana. Dodging another swipe, Sol slashed his blade diagonally upward and sheathed his sword. The bear collapsed on the ground with a thud as Sol turned and walked further down the path.

"You were saying?" Sol asked.

_"On second thought…I'll tell you as soon as we reach Tir Chonail. That way, everyone else can hear me also." _Vice said.

"Yeah…good point." Sol looked back at the fallen bear with concern.

_"You thinking of selling its pelt?"_ Vice asked.

"No…it's just that…they usually aren't seen this close to the main road." Sol turned back around and continued walking towards Tir Chonail.

**Unknown location, somewhere in the woods**

Soma sat, cross legged, in his personal tent, examining his bare arm. Several black cracks had formed on the skin. A sharp pain shot through his arm every few minutes, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. However, every couple of hours, the pain would suddenly intensify. The stinging pain he usually felt was magnified to feel as though his arm was about to split in half. Soma clasped his arm and gritted his teeth as he waited for the pain to subside. "What the hell…what the hell is happening to me?" Soma wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath. His thoughts were interrupted by Sera calling from outside.

"Captain, I'm here to make a report." Sera called.

"Come in." soma turned away from the entrance so that his back was facing it. He placed his Claymore in front of him to make it look like he was examining it for damages.

"lieutenant Sera, reporting!" Sera snapped a salute and waited for a response.

Soma turned his head and looked over his shoulder. "At…uhm…at ease." Soma stammered.

"What is it?"

"it's just that…I haven't seen you in that outfit for a while."

Instead of wearing basic light steel armor, Sera was wearing her traditional mages robes. "Oh…I see. It has been pretty long since I put these on. I almost forgot how they feel."

"Sometimes I forget that you're the magic user in our unit. Anyway, what is it?"

"Oh right! Sir, I wanted to inform you that it's starting to get dark." Sera said

"And?"

"Well…I know you wanted to continue pursuing the enemy but...we've been travelling the entire day and at this rate…" sera was about to say more but was stopped by soma.

"I understand. We'll stay through the night. A well rested and focused unit that fell behind is better than a sleepy and disorganized one that arrives on time." Soma stated. "Was there anything else?"

"Well…I also wanted to ask if you were alright." Sera said. She saw that Soma was specifically trying to keep his arm out of view. "Is it still hurting?"

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about." Soma was surprised by one of Sera's hands resting on his arm while the other rested on his shoulder.

Sera was kneeling behind him, looking at the ground. "If you don't want me to see it, then that's fine. But…"

"I'll be fine…Sera. Was there anything else?" Soma interrupted.

Sera stayed silent for a few seconds and then stood up. "No sir…" She turned around and left the tent. Soma turned his head and watched her silhouette get smaller and smaller.

**Tir Chonail**

Toran brought the axe down with full force, splitting the log in half. "And that makes 20. Hey! I'm all set over here!" Toran yelled.

"great! Just bring it to the back room!" Nora responded through the doorway, a tray with several cups in her hands. She walked over to the large table in the corner where Diana was sitting. "Diana? Hello?...Diana!" Nora yelled.

"Wah! Yes?" Diana snapped out of her trance and looked around wildly. "What is it?"

"Man, you're really out of today. You usually never space out like that."

"Sorry…it's just…This dream I had keeps popping up in my head. I can't stop thinking about it." Diana placed her hand on her chin.

"you mean the one where you see those two people getting crushed by boulders?" Nora asked. "Does it have something to do with your past? Did someone close to you die that way?'

"No, not really. Everyone close to me was…well, never mind. Just ignore me for now…" Diana gave a reassuring smile. Nora gave her one last worried look and then left. Diana stood up and stretched. She turned towards the door and left.

"Where are you going?" Toran asked, tightening some rope around a bunch of chopped logs.

"I'm just going for a…uh…" Diana spotted something in the distance and squinted to try and get a better look. She ran across the small dirt path in front of the inn and stopped at the railing. "Is that?" Diana saw Sol walking out of the forest and towards the small wooden bridge that led to town. "Sol!" Diana yelled and waved her hand. Sol must've heard her as he waved back.

**30 minutes later**

After Sol reunited with Diana and Toran, the three of them went back inside the inn to catch up. The trio was seated around a table, a tense atmosphere filling the room.

"Attacked? When?" Toran yelled as Sol finished explaining what he had learned.

"It happened last night. The news hasn't reached this far out into the countryside so I'm not surprised you haven't heard about it." Sol said.

"So…what? Emain macha is just gone?" Diana asked.

"Most of the town is pretty much just ash and rubble. The only buildings that were spared were a few shops and…get this…a bar." Sol explained.

"That's just horrible…though, not at all surprising." Toran commented.

"Which part, the town being attacked or the fact that one of the only surviving buildings was a bar." Sol asked.

"Both, to be honest."

"Well, aside from that, there's something even more disturbing." Sol said.

"What could be worse than one of the largest cities in the country being reduced to rubble?" Diana said crossing her legs.

"You remember when we were in albi dungeon and we explored those memories? Well, the same thing happened to me in dunbarton and…well, it turns out that the Goddess morrighan is working with the fomors…or… a better way to put it is that she's the one controlling them." Sol stated this with a grim look on his face. After a brief pause, Toran and Diana immediately got into Sol's face.

"What do you mean she's controlling them!" and "What the hell have we been dragging our asses across the country for!" were picked out among various other inaudible questions.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't gang up on me, I'm just the middle man!" Sol said, backing into the corner. "Look, there's no need to start throwing a hissy fit, alright? I'm pretty sure that I don't have all the details and I'm extracting them from vice as we speak."

"Vice? You mean the demon who's snacking on your soul?" Toran inquired.

"Yes, the very same."

"I thought you said you wouldn't rely on him no matter what?"

"Yeah…well…I'm getting a little desperate right now…" Sol said, clearly making up excuses. "Anyway, just wait for a while longer, okay? I'll have it all sorted out by tomorrow." Sol reassured them. "For now, we should all get some sleep, it's starting to get pretty dark out there." Sol gestured towards the window.

"well…if you say so…" Diana said, uneasily. The three of them, along with Nora and Piaras cleaned the table and headed to bed.

**That night…**

Sol sat up on his bed and looked around, several candles served to light up the room he was using. "Damn…" Sol scratched his head and sighed. "back to business…" Sol closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He shut out all the sounds and sensations of the world around him. He let himself fall deeper and deeper into the sea of his soul.

**Dunbarton, temporary paladin HQ**

Adrian sat alone in his cell. Well, not really alone. He had two guards in his cell with him, their spears at the ready. Two more guards stood outside his cell as well. Another group of five guards regularly patrolled the hallway he was currently located in. His arms were bound to the wall while his feet were shackled together. His mouth was gagged, his eyes were blindfolded and his ears were plugged. It was just him and his thoughts, pretty much.

_"They could have at least let me keep my suit…these prison wrags are itchy…"_ Adrian grinded his back on the wall to scratch an itch, but to no avail. _"Gotta hand it to them…they really pay attention to detail…"_

Captain Gillian entered the cellblock that Adrian was being held in and walked towards the two guards standing at attention. "Is that him?" He asked, glancing at the heavily bound form of Adrian Von Kaumpherr.

"Yes sir!" One of the guards said, saluting.

"where's his little puppet?"

"Sir! She's currently staying at lieutenant Sai's Office. Sir!"

"Why with Sai?"

"I don't know all the details, but apparently it's his sister, Sir!"

"Alright, first off: At ease. I probably should've said that earlier. Second: stop saying sir before and after everything you say, it's getting a little annoying. Finally: His Sister! Why wasn't I informed!" Gillian ranted.

"S-Sir! Like I said…I don't know all the details." The guard replied, nervously.

Gillian sighed and turned towards the door. "I guess I'll have to find out for myself." Gillian exited the cell block and opened the doors that led to the main lobby of the new HQ. "If I remember correctly..." Gillian muttered to himself. "Kai and Sai's sister supposedly died during a training mission which means…"

**Sai's apartment**

Sai looked out the window onto one of the many side streets of Dunbarton. After the attack, he had bought a small apartment in Dunbarton to serve as a temporary residence until he could buy a real house. He looked behind him and saw Mai sitting on the bed across from his. She was staring blankly at the wall. He sighed and sat across from her. He looked her square in the eyes and saw nothing. "Mai…don't you recognize me?" He received no response. He looked at the floor and then back towards the window. "Damn it kai…why didn't you stay? Maybe if we were all here…" Sai's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Lieutenant! There's a request for you at HQ!" a messenger yelled.

"I see…I'll be right over." Sai heard the messenger walk away. He stood up and threw on his cloak. He took one last look at Mai as he opened the door, and left.

Unbeknownst to him, Mai silently mouthed one single word. " brother…"

**Sol's Head**

_"A weapon?" Sol repeated as Vice began his explanation._

_ "Yes. Glas Ghaibhleann is a powerful weapon created by Cichol himself. He intended to use it during the first war with the fomors but it's completion took a lot longer than expected, even for a god."_ _Vice waved his hand and an image of a skeletal stone dragon appeared in the air in front of Sol. "This is how it was when I last saw it. I'd imagine it looks a lot more complete than it does now."_

_ "Alright…so…How do we kill it?" Sol asked._

_ "Excuse me?"_

_ "How do we destroy it? There has to be a way."_

_ "Okay, first off: It's made out of adamantium, the strongest metal in the world. It'll take more than either of us can dish out to even put a scratch in that thing. Second of all: We need to focus on the bigger picture. Even if we do destroy it, Glas Ghaibhleann can be repaired as many times as the fomors need it. We need to destroy its creator." Vic explained._

_ "Cichol?" Sol said._

_ "Right. If we take him down, then we're golden." Vice grinned and clenched his fist. _

**Real World**

"So we just have to kill a god? That's basically what he's saying?" Toran said.

"Yes." Sol said, casually.

"Okay…setting aside how impossible this is going to be, what about Morrighan? Isn't she on the fomor side now?" Diana asked.

"about that…Vice suspects that what I saw wasn't the real morrighan, but Cichol who disguised himself as her." Sol explained.

"that seems a little…convenient." Toran stared at Sol, suspiciously.

"Don't give me that look! Listen, we can find out the truth as we go along." Sol crossed his arms. "We need more information."

"Yes…Who could have more information on Glas Ghaibhleann?" Toran pondered.

"Not just that. Tir na nogg as well." Sol pointed out.

"You mean that paradise Tarlach and the others were searching for?" Diana asked.

"Yes. When I had that first vision all those weeks ago, Luna asked me to go to Tir Na nogg, remember?" Sol waited.

"Hmmm…Yeah, I do remember you mentioning that." Diana said. "So let me guess. You want to talk to Tarlach again?"

"Pretty much."

**Sidhe Sneachta**

"I forgot how freezing cold it was out here…" Sol said, sniffling. "Why did he have to pick this place to be a hermit? I'm sure there are a dozen other warmer isolated caves or mountains to live out a lonely existence." Sol yelled.

"Oh, quit your complaining. This isn't nearly as bad as it could be." Toran said. "we could be…I don't know, attacked by coyotes or something." A distant howl was heard, echoing across the valley.

"I hate you…" Sol said, drawing his blade. The trio readied their weapons and stood back to back as a pack of about 8 coyotes emerged from the woods. "I really hate you!" As the Coyotes prepared to attack, something stopped them. They lowered their heads and darted off back into the trees. "…Did we win?" Sol asked.

"I thought I heard voices." A familiar voice came out of the bushes nearby. A young man with blond hair, blue eyes, glasses, and a long brown robe came out, a kind smile on his face.

"There you are!" Sol said.

"we've been looking all over for you." Diana slung her crossbow back over her shoulder.

"Follow me, this isn't the place to chat, now is it?" Tarlach motioned for the trio to follow and went back behind the bushes.

**Tarlach's tent**

The four of them were scrunched together in a rough circle around a campfire inside Tarlach's tent. Sol had a blanket wrapped tightly around him while the others simply warmed their hands around the fire.

"So…you want to know about Glas Ghaibhleann." Tarlach said.

"And about Tir Na Nogg." Sol added

"I thought I told you that I don't remember anything." Tarlach said with a hint of annoyance.

"Well try to remember!" Sol said.

Tarlach stared at him and then closed his eyes. He saw brief flashes of him, Ruairi, and Mari exploring a vast stone labyrinth, an imposing black armored figure with his sword raised high, and a skeletal monster not meant to be look on by the eyes of mortal men. "No!" Tarlach opened his eyes and breathed heavily. "It's…It's just too painful."

Before Sol could say anything more, Toran placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for having you relive something so painful like this but… we really don't have any other options." Toran said.

Tarlach thought for a moment and reached into one of the bags he had in his tent. He pulled out a small, rectangular wooden box and handed it to Toran. "Here, these are my glasses. take this to Rabbie dungeon just outside of Dunbarton and drop it on the altar. You'll find your answers there." Tarlach said. "Also, take this." Tarlach tossed a red wing made of wax which was caught by Toran. "That should teleport you to Rabbie dungeon directly. I hear it's been getting hectic around there since main macha was attacked."

"How do you know that?" Sol asked.

"I could see the column of smoke even in this damned blizzard. If you couple that with the rumors I've heard about the paladins when I go into town to get supplies…it's not that hard to figure out." Tarlach explained. "Oh, and the wing is a one way trip. If you guys use it, you're on your own after that."

"I see…Thank you." Toran bowed and turned towards the door. "Guys?" Sol and Diana stood up and exited the tent after Toran did.

Tarlach just sat there for a while. He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "Those guys are way in over their heads…"

**Paladin HQ, Adrian's cell**

Captain Gillian retraced his steps back to Adrian's cell. The guards were surprised by his almost immediate return, but let him in regardless. He walked through the narrow hall, noting the rows of empty cells. The paladins had dedicated this entire block to Adrian. It was a bit of overkill in Gillian's opinion but it wasn't his call to make. Eventually, he stopped in front of Adrian's cell. "Let me in." He ordered. Without question, the two guards opened the cell door while the other two inside straightened up and saluted. "At ease…" Gillian said and turned to face Adrian. "Remove the earplugs and the gag." Gillian ordered.

"Huh? Are you sure, captain?" one of the guards asked.

"Just do it. It's time he and I had a little chat."

"R-right…" The guard hesitantly removed the earplugs and removed the rag wrapped around Adrian's mouth, prompting him to spit out the other rag crammed inside it.

"Adrian Von Kaumpherr. You've been a real thorn in our side, you know that?" Gillian said.

"Can you blame me? It's part of my job description." Adrian responded, sarcastically.

"Then I'll be sure to take it up with your boss when we meet."

"Is there a point to this captain? I'm not really in the mood to exchange verbal taunts." Adrian said.

"All right then, I'll get straight to the point. What can you tell me about your experiments into necromancy?" Gillian asked.

Adrian's jaw twitched. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said, mockingly.

"Cut the crap you piece of shit. I'm through playing games. Tell me what you know or fry." Gillian had a calm but fierce expression on his face and the fire ball burning in his hand served to amplify that.

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound like something a paladin would say." Adrian grinned.

"I hate the dark knights in general but I have a particular loathing for necromancers. You disrupt the flow of progress. Instead of guiding humanity forward to the future you drag it further backward into the past by resurrecting that which was meant to be left behind." Gillian clarified. "So I'll ask again. Why are you researching necromancy? How much progress have you made? Finally, what is its purpose?" Gillian's voice was cold and emotionless.

"Heh…These chains of mine have cut off a bit too much oxygen, I'm afraid." Adrian remarked sarcastically. As soon as he finished talking, he smelled something burning. He felt intense heat on the tips of the prison boots they had given him. "What, can't take a joke?"

"I said I was through joking. Now I estimate you have about 20 minutes before the flames consume your body. And that's assuming I don't lose it. So I suggest you start talking." All Gillian got in response was a huff from Adrian. Gillian made a gesture with his hand and the flames intensified.

"I hope you know that if you kill me, you're also killing the girl." Adrian said. A grin spread across his face despite the immense pain coursing through him.

"What do you mean?" Gillian asked.

"My precious little doll… She was the younger sister of one of our officers. Kai, I think his name was." Adrian explained. "Her soul and mine are intimately linked. If I go down, she goes with me along with any chance of saving her."

Gillian stared at Adrian with an intense glare and then relaxed. "Then I'll only burn your skin off as opposed to everything underneath." As Gillian raised his hand again, a large splash of ice cold water engulfed him and the flames. "Gaaaah! What the hell!"

"You've got a lot of nerve to do all this without my permission." Captain Mason said, grasping an empty wooden pail in her hand.

Gillian wiped some of the water off his face and turned to face his colleague. "We're the same rank, Marina. I don't take orders from you."

"While you're in _my_ Headquarters, you do. Violently torturing a prisoner like this, even a dark knight, is against protocol. You're lucky I'm not reporting you for this." Captain Mason and Captain Gillian glared at each other before Gillian finally decided to leave.

"_sigh_…Fine, have it your way." Gillian walked past Mason and headed towards the double doors that lead to the lobby. As he placed a hand on the doorknob, a surge of energy caught his attention. _"This feeling…Sol?"_ Gillian looked up and to the northwest in the general direction of rabbie dungeon. "What the hell is that idiot doing back here all of a sudden?" Gillian muttered.

"You say something?" Captain mason asked.

"Huh? What? No! N-nothing at all." Gillian said, snapping back to reality. "I'll be…staying in town for a few more days. Maybe a week. I'll keep in touch." Gillian exited the prison block and made a beeline for the main exit. "Sol…you moron!"

**Rabbie dungeon, altar**

Sol, Diana, and Toran materialized in the altar room of Rabbie dungeon, clouds of dust flying up upon their arrival. "Well…here we are." Sol commented while waving away the aforementioned dust clouds. As everyone was recovering, Sol stepped forward towards the altar and stared up at Morrighan's statue, deep in thought. "Morrighan…Luna…Everything will be made clear today."

"Did you say something?" Diana asked.

"No…nothing at all." Sol responded. "Let's get things started!"

The three of them stood in a triangle on the altar and Toran pulled out the small rectangular box that contained tarlach's eyeglasses. He placed the pair of spectacles in the center of the altar. The three of them waited for the altar to respond, just as they did before. Before long, the air around them began to vibrate and the markings on Sol's arms began to flash. A semi-transparent wall of light surrounded them as they were sucked into the memory within the glasses.

**Rabbie Dungeon (past)**

Sol groaned as he regained consciousness, the pounding in his head serving as a rude alarm clock. "Here we go again…" Sol remembered what happened the last time all three of them did this. He stood up and looked himself over. The same armor, the same skin, and the same red hair as before. He had become Ruairi once again. He looked over and saw that Toran had just regained consciousness. Like Sol, he had taken the form of one of the three warriors. Tarlach, in his case. Sol walked over and helped him stand up. "You doing all right, Tarlach?" Sol teased.

"Oh shut up." Toran said. "it's kind of weird, you know. I mean I was just talking to tarlach a few hours ago." Toran said, examining the robes.

"Oh! Where's Diana, if it's like last time then she's gonna be that-" Before Sol could finish, an arrow whizzed past his and Toran's head. Diana, in Mari's body, held a drawn bow in her hands.

"Say a word about this and you're dead." Diana said in a threatening tone.

"y-yes ma'am." Sol and Toran both said.

"So…what happens now?" Sol asked.

"I'm sure if we just wait long enough, those apparitions will appear and…oh, there they are." Toran noticed Tarlach, Ruairi, and Mari, or the memories of them, standing off to the side, talking with one another.

"I think we're about to get screwed over here, guys." Sol commented.

**Outside Rabbie Dungeon (present)**

Captain Gillian stopped in front of the dungeon entrance and adjusted his glasses. "Sol…what are you doing way out here?" Gillian entered into the dungeon. He glanced towards the trees and noted the four cloaked individuals tailing him. He walked down the stone stairs, his footsteps echoing through the dark hall. What he found at the altar room was astonishing. He saw Sol and two others he didn't know in a bright square barrier on the altar. He tried to enter it but met with little success. "Interesting…" Gillian grinned. Gillian walked along the edge of the barrier, trailing his finger across its "surface" as he did so. Behind him, he noticed two of the four who were following him earlier were in the room, staying the shadows. _"Come on…make a move."_ As Gillian pretended not to notice them, a small flicker of movement, not from the two he was focused on, captured his attention. He immediately stepped back as the tip of a blade sliced the air where his head was just seconds before. Before his assailant could adjust his footing, he grabbed his enemy's wrist and threw him at the other two in the shadows. "That accounts for three so…" A loud yell pierced the chamber as the final assailant leaped down from the ceiling, his blade poised to strike. Gillian easily avoided it by leaped to the side. "And that makes four." Gillian adjusted his glasses as the four assailants regrouped in front of him, their weapons drawn. Two of them had one handed swords while one had an axe and the other had a spear.

"I expect no less from a captain in the knights." One of the sword wielders said.

Gillian glanced at the steps that led outside. _"I could just run and come back with back up later but would leave Sol wide open not to mention get him captured."_ Gillian glanced at Sol and his two companions. _"Then again…would they be able to break through the barrier if I couldn't even do it?_

Before Gillian could finish thinking, the man that spoke to him gave the order to charge. His three other compatriots followed suit, charging at Gillian with their weapons raised. Gillian pointed his right arm towards the ground and extended his index and middle finger. He then made a sweeping motion, a large wall of fire rising out of the ground when he finished. With a smirk he thrust his left arm out with an open palm, causing the fire wall to rush forward like a wave. This pushed the three attackers into their leader and burned off their cloaks. When they got up, Gillian noted their jagged black armor. _"Black knights…figures."_ He looked at who he suspected to be the leader and noticed that he didn't have his helmet on. _"He sort of looks like that shaosu kid in Soma's unit."_

"See something you like?" Ceez asked with a sarcastic grin. "Get up you idiots! Or do you _want_ to die?"

**Rabbie dungeon (past)**

A black suit of armor slammed against the stone wall and fell apart. Sol, Toran, and Diana stood back to back, out of breath, as the last of the ghost armors fell. "Damn it…how many more of these things are there?" Sol commented as he sheathed his sword. "I still don't understand why _we_ have to fight them ourselves.

"Just don't dwell on it." Toran said, adjusting his glasses. "Besides, you'd probably get board sitting around watching things unfold."

"Can we just get this over with, please? I'm tired of having to look up whenever I talk to someone." Diana complained. Sol and Toran exchanged looks and shrugged.

The trio continued down the dark maze like corridors until they finally came into a large room. On the wall opposing them was a large wooden door with and equally large lock and thick rusted chains. What drew the most attention, however, was the giant armored figure kneeling on one knee with his back turned in the center of the room. They also noted the large black claymore stabbed into the ground, the armored man's hand was gripped firmly around the handle.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to be!" Sol yelled. Suddenly, a pulse of energy ran through him. _"What the…?"_ Sol stepped back a bit and clutched his head.

"Sol? Sol what's wrong?" Toran and Diana both had concerned looks on their faces.

"_That's Morgant!"_ Vice yelled in Sol's head. "We…we have to run…" Sol said with a sick look on his face. "I don't know why, but every single fiber of my being is telling me to run."

"**I've been waiting for you, intruders."** Morgant's voice resonated through the room. The apparitions of the three warriors stepped into view.

"Waiting for us?" Ruairi repeated.

"What for?" Mari asked, confused.

"**To those who challenge the Goddess…We will not allow you to disgrace our Land!"** Morgant stood up and turned to face the three warriors.

"Challenge? We're not here to challenge anyone!" Tarlach yelled.

Morgant readied his sword. **"Come."** The apparitions disappeared and now it was Sol, Diana, and Toran against Morgant.

**Sol's Head**

"Sol, let me take this one." Vice said.

"Huh? Why?" Sol asked.

"The way you guys are, you won't be able to put a scratch on him."

"How do I know you won't try something?"

"Just trust me on this! There's too much going on for us to screw up!" Vice yelled.

**Rabbie Dungeon (past)**

Sol's eyes turned from Ruairi's red color to a bright yellow as Vice took over.

"All right, what we'll do is- Hey wait!" before Toran could finish, Vice darted forward at Morgant.

When the two blades clashed a thin burst of black energy shot through the room. "Even if you are just a shadow, you still don't things easy for me, huh?"

"What the heck just happened?" Toran asked.

"You need to ask." Diana replied in an exasperated tone. She readied three arrows and tried to take aim at Morgant. "Stop moving around you idiot." As Vice and Morgant continued to trade blows, it became harder and harder for Diana to line up a shot. Vice noticed this and pulled back. Diana let all three arrows loose only to have them swatted out of the air. Morgant then slammed his claymore into the ground, causing sections of the floor to break and fly upward.

"Damn it…" Diana struggled to keep her balance. When she rebalanced herself she looked up and saw Morgant towering over her. Seconds later, pain rocketed through her body as she was slammed against the wall hard enough to make a small dent.

"Diana!" Toran yelled. "_This isn't good. With that childlike body, she needs immediate attention."_ Toran rushed to her aid only to have his neck grabbed by Morgant's armored fist. "Gaahh…" Morgant raised him into the air and squeezed. _"Damn it… is this it? What happens when you die in here?"_

**"Now you-Urgh!"** Morgant looked down and saw a clean steel blade protruding from his stomach. **"You little…"**

"Did you miss me?" Vice said. Morgant attemptedto slash at him with his sword but vice simply weaved underneath his arm, pulling his own sword out at the same time. Vice targeted the exposed part of the armor that allowed Morgant to bend his arm and slashed as hard as he could. "Eat This!" The cut wasn't strong enough to cut the arm off completely, but enough to cause Morgant to release his grip on Toran't neck.

**"Gaaaaaaahhh!"** Morgant staggered backwards in pain as his arm dangled by a thread.

"And so…it ends." Vice readied his sword and stabbed it straight through Morgant's head. The Dark lord jerked once and fell limp. Vice gave a sigh of relief and yanked out his sword. Once he did, he let Sol take control once more.

"Damn it!" Sol clutched his head as he readjusted. "Don't you ever do that again…" Sol turned around and saw Toran sitting up on a pile of rocks, rubbing his throat. "Toran! Are you- Before Sol could finish, Toran jabbed his finger at Diana who lay crumpled on the floor. "Oh my… Diana!" Sol rushed over and knelt down next to her. He hesitated, not sure what to do. Her breathing was erratic, she had bruises and cuts all over, and he could only guess how many bones were broken. He brought his ear to her chest and heard a faint beating sound. She was still alive. A green light surrounded her as Toran started a healing spell.

"I'm not sure how much it'll help, but she'll definitely pull through." Toran smiled.

Diana groaned a bit when Toran finished. "Ngh…guys?" Diana opened her eyes and saw Sol inches away from her face. "Uh…what are you doing?"

"Uh…clarifying something." Sol replied. Diana simply head butted him in the nose and saw up when he recoiled back. "Guahahh! You god damn…What was that for!" Sol clutched his nose which he was pretty sure was broken.

"That's for trying to steal the innocence of a fair young maiden." Diana said, jokingly.

"stealing the…what do you take me for!" Before the two could continue arguing, they were interrupted by another memory segment.

Mari, Ruairi, and Tarlach watched as Morgant stood up, seemingly unscathed. **"I may have underestimated you, but no matter."** Morgant chuckled to himself. **"I can see the curse that fate has cast upon you."** Morgant looked at Ruairi. **"I see one who will lose everything."** He turned to Mari. **"I see one who will learn the truth and not be able to handle it."** He turned to tarlach. **"And I see one who will live in mental and physical agony for years to come."** Morgant laughed again. **"Cursed Souls, doomed to eternal suffering, I bid you farewell."** Morgant vanished before their eyes.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ruairi asked. With nothing stopping them, the three pressed onward. Sol, Diana, and Toran followed closely behind.

**Outside Rabbie Dungeon (present)**

Two cloaked figures stood in front of the entrance. One was a regular human shaped size will the other was almost three times as large. "Well…here we go." The smaller of the two said, grinning.

"Gyahhhhh!" the Dark knight yelled as his body was completely engulfed in flames. He flailed around for several seconds before falling to the ground, dead.

"One down." Gillian said as the Ceez and his remaining two subordinates surrounded him. "Bring it."

One of the Dark Knights rushed at Gillian and thrust his spear forward only to have it stopped by a giant hand clamping around it. "What?" The knight tried to pull it loose but soon saw that the hand that grabbed his spear had bent it out of shape. "What the he- before he could finish, he was slammed against the stone wall by another giant hand and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

The other black knight with an Axe turned to see where the attack was coming from only to have someone punch straight through his armor and right into his stomach. He coughed up blood as he sailed through the air and slammed against the barrier that held Sol and the others. He landed at the base of the platform. Whether he was dead or alive, no one could tell.

Ceez and Gillian stared in amazement at what just happened. They turned to see the new combatants and saw a small human sized person with an even larger companion following behind.

"Diran? Tanya?" Ceez said.

"Close, but no cigar." The smaller one of the two pulled of her hood to reveal black hair tied into a pony tail, blue eyes, and dark skin. "The name's Lydia and this big lug over here is Rudi. He's not much of a talker but he has other ways of communicating." Rudi pulled out his mace and let it slam on to the ground. "As for you, 'Mincemeat' should be as good a name as any." Lydia grinned as she punched her fists together.

**Rabbie Dungeon (past)**

The three warriors stepped into a large empty room with Sol and the others not too far behind them. "You sure this is the entrance Tir Na Nogg? I was expecting a field of flowers with an elaborately designed gate. Not a stone cold cave with a black armored giant ready to tear our throats out." Ruairi said. Despite the joking nature of his inquiry, Ruairi was genuinely concerned. Mari had a similar expression on her face and Tarlach himself was beginning to have some doubts.

"I could've sworn I read the texts right. This should definitely lead us to Tir Na Nogg." Tarlach was deep in thought.

"Maybe you got a bad tip." Ruairi speculated.

Mari was about to add something as well but noticed a flickering light out of the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw a small flame burning high above them on the opposite side of the room. "Guys, look!" Mari pointed towards the flame. When the others looked, more and more flames began to appear in a line around the room, illuminating the ceiling and what was hanging from it.

What the trio saw was almost too horrifying for words. A large skeletal creature was suspended above them with wires and wooded support beams. Along its incomplete body were half developed muscles and organs haphazardly placed inside the monsters ribcage. The most noticeable feature, however, was a large beating red heart in the center of, what they assumed, was the chest.

"Glas….Glas Ghaibhleann." Tarlach stepped back in both awe and horror.

"You know what this thing is?" Ruairi had a perplexed look on his face.

"It's a horrible abomination. It was responsible for the deaths of millions during the great war." Tarlach took several deep breaths to calm down. "Why…Why is this _thing_ here? Tir Na Nogg was supposed to be a paradise."

Mari scanned the room and saw a small black book a few feet away. "Hey, check this out!" Mari and the others walked over to the book and picked it up. "Can you make sense of it?" Mari handed the book to Tarlach.

"Hmmm…No good. It's written in Fomor script. My master could probably translate it but…" Tarlach paused.

"But?" Mari tilted her head quizzically.

"He's gone." Tarlach finished, a pained look on his face.

"Maybe someone in the city could help." Ruairi said.

"How rude! You should know better than to take things that don't belong to you. I've taught you better than that." A mysterious voice echoed from the darkness.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Ruairi drew his sword.

"That voice…!" Tarlach stepped forward, in front of Ruairi. "It can't be!"

An old man in a red robe and white hair stepped into view.

"M-master! Master Mores! You're alive?" Tarlach said in amazement.

"Spoke to soon, didn't you?" Ruairi teased.

"Master, this is Tir Na Nogg isn't it? Why is an abomination like that being constructed here?" Taralch asked frantically. Mores gave no answer. "Master please! We're here to serve the goddess and open the gates of paradise. Do you know where she is!"

Several black suits of armor along with Morgant appeared behind Mores. "There are things in this world that you cannot possibly hope to understand, Tarlach. You've seen too much. Please, forgive me." Mores turned to Morgant. "Seize them, but don't kill them."

**"I can't make any promises."** Morgant said as he drew his sword. The Ghost armors surrounded the Trio and, by extension, Sol and his group.

"You want a piece of me! Bring it!" Ruairi pointed his sword at Morgant. "We beat you once, we can do it again!"

"Mari stay close!" Tarlah stood protectively in front of Mari as the Armors closed in.

Mores froze. "M…mari?" He stared at the young girl behind Tarlach's leg. "No! Stop."

Morgant froze just as he raised his sword. He turned and saw a mass of black energy appear between him and Mores. A small spiral of black feathers appeared as Morrighan stepped into view.

"Th-that's the goddess!" Tarlach said.

"She's beautiful…" Mari was awestruck.

Sol stared at her as everything around him slowed down. "Luna…" For a brief instant, he saw himself standing in the courtyard of the manor looking at her smiling face. She reached his hand out to him. He went to grab it but was stopped by Diana.

"Sol! Focus!" Diana's voice was full of concern. Sol gulped and faced unfolding disaster in front of him.

"Dark Lord, why do you hesitate?" Morrighan's voice was cold and merciless. "These humans have disobeyed my will and desecrated this holy place." Morrighan pointed towards the three warriors. "In the name of the Goddess of War and Vengeance, end their lives!"

Mores' recoiled in horror. "What? NO! Stop!"

Morgant turned back towards Ruairi and readied his sword.

"All right then. Come and ge-!" before he could finish Morgant charged straight through him. Ruairi's sword and armor shattered, a deep gash on his chest sprayed blood on the floor.

"Ruairi!" Tarlach called out in horror. A ball of electricity appeared in his hand and he launched it at Morgant. The Dark Lord Shrugged it off and backhanded Tarlach against the wall.

"T-tarlach?…R-ruairi?" Mari stepped back in fear. She knew she had to raise her bow. She knew she had to fight. She knew this but her legs wouldn't move.

"No! stop this, please!" Mores begged Morrighan.

"Have you forgotten that you've sworn your allegiance to me? My will is absolute!" the Goddess shoved Mores back and turned her back to him.

"MARIII!" Tarlach yelled. The screams of a young girl echoed through the room and Mari fell to the ground, still and silent. Mores fell to his knees, a look of shock on his face. He looked at his hands and buried his face in them. Morgant turned to Tarlach and raised his blade high into the air. The mage paid no attention to him as he stared in horror at what just happened.

_"Sol…can you see it?"_ Vice said in Sol's mind.

Sol's eyes drifted towards Morrighan, but that image soon began to fade. Unbeknownst to anyone but him, where Morrighan once stood, Cichol remained. Sol clenched his fists and glared.

Before long the world faded to black. Several minutes later, two more apparitions appeared. Tarlach rested his head in the lap of a beautiful young woman with pink hair. "Ngh…who…who are you? Where am I?"

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Kristell. We met several days ago." Kristell said with a gentle tone.

"Where are my friends? Mari…Ruairi…" Tarlach said in a pained voice.

"You were alone when I found you…"

"That's a lie! I couldn't have escaped on my own!" Tarlach yelled in anger.

"How rude! You don't believe me?"

"How could I! You're a Fomor!" Tarlach stood up but immediately knelt back down as pains shot through him. "Damn…"

"You look fine on the outside, but your inside is a different story." Kristell stated.

"I have to go…"

"But if you try to move now you'll die!" Kristell said, suddenly very concerned.

"…Why…? Why are you helping me?" Tarlach asked.

"…Remember what you told me when we last met? Love is more than just overpowering others. I may be a fomor, but I want to learn more about love one step at a time." Kristell took Tarlach's hand and placed on her cheek. With that, the apparitions finally faded.

**Rabbie Duneon (present)**

Ceez skidded backwards after blocking Lydia's last attack. His armor was chipped, and broken while his three opponents were barely scratched. "Damn it all…"

"What's the matter? Can't take the heat?" Lydia taunted.

"Keep trying. We could use another interrogation subject." Gillian said, channeling a fire ball in his hand.

"I guess I've got no choice." Ceez held up his right hand as a black ball of energy formed inside it. He let go of it and watched as it expanded into a doorway.

"Leaving already?" Lydia said.

"Hey, I know when I'm beat. See ya." Ceez stepped into the doorway and disappeared.

"Phew…That went well, don't ya think?" Lydia said to Rudi.

"Thanks' for your help!" Gillian said.

"No problem. But…one thing." Lydia walked over to Gillian and punched him hard in the gut, knocking him out. "Alright. Now he won't chase after us when Sol and the others wake up." Lydia walked over to the barrier and noticed that it was flickering. "Looks like they'll be up soon. I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

The barrier fell and Sol, Toran, and Diana started to wake up. "Damn it…my head…" Sol said with an agitated voice.

"I can't believe what I just saw…" Toran yelled.

"What does all this…Whoah…" Diana looked over and Saw Lydia waving at them and Rudi standing behind her. The three of them briefly forgot the tragedy they witnessed and rushed over to meet their friends. Once again, they were together.

**To be continued…**

Sorry that Lydia's and Rudi's re-entry into the story was a bit anti-climactic. I just didn't want to start another long fight like with the destruction of Emain Macha. Anyway, see ya next time!


	18. Chapter 18

Heyo! Still Alive!

And here we have the 18th installment! Please enjoy….

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 18: Blackroses**

_**Several Years Ago**_

_ Kristell's feet skidded on the ground as she was pushed back by Diran's powerful fist. The two of them were in a very heavily wooded part of the continent. Large trees loomed over them like stone towers. Patches of green moss covered the bark while long vines hung in a loose loop from the branches. She shrugged off the pain and fired spell after spell at her former commander. Fireballs, lightning bolts and any other kind of projectile magic sent a wave of destruction on Diran and the surrounding terrain. Diran dodged or deflected each attack as it came, the clearing they were in was burned and scarred. Diran saw a slight delay in one of Kristell's attacks and punched his fist straight into the dirt. The resulting shockwave caused a section of the ground to shoot up and knock Kristell into the air. Diran leaped up and kicked Kristell back down where she crashed into the ground at the base of a large tree._

_ "You know…I really hate the new you." Diran said in a disappointed tone. "You showed such promise! You were actually more competent than all my previous subordinates put together." Diran stepped forward until he was looming over Kristell. Her body was beaten to a pulp, bruises and cuts were seen through her torn clothes. "But now… you smell almost human."Diran lifted his foot with the intention to crush Kristell's face under it. However, instead of hearing a satisfying splat, he heard the sound of metal grinding against metal. Kristell managed to stop Diran's foot with her sword. Kristell pushed upward just enough to allow her to roll away and stand up. Diran turned to chase after her but only found clumps of dirt being thrown in his face. He blocked most of it, but a few lucky shots got into his eyes. "Gaaah!"Kristell ran deeper into the forest as Diran rubbed his eyes clean. When he was barely able to see, he could find no sign of Kristell save for a few faint tracks. _

_ Diran started to follow them when he senses a presence behind him. He turned to find Morgant standing several feet behind him. __**"Looks like you lost her."**__ He said._

_ "Not for long."_

_**"Forget her; we have a new assignment for you."**_

_ "But-!"_

_**"She's not important! We can find a replacement soon enough. Now come!"**_

_ Diran wiped a few smudges of dirt from his face and followed Morgant back to base. "If it wasn't for that damn four eyes…" he muttered to himself._

**Woods, outside Dunbarton**

Grey clouds were spread across the sky like a thick blanket. The forest was unusually quiet for the time of day it was. The chirping of birds or the rustling of grass was strangely absent. All that could be heard was the crackle of a camp fire as it danced across its wooden stage. 6 people sat in a loose circle around it, one of them tied up. Two were sitting intently to the story the other three were telling to update them on the situation. Once they were finished, the listeners became to speakers as they told of their own experiences while they were away.

"So…" Lydia began. "…What you're saying is that the God of all fomors is building some kind of ancient weapon of ultimate destruction, one that is capable of killing even gods and that it's nearing completion."

"Yes." Sol nodded.

"And you're also telling me that this same God, Cichol, tricked this powerful wizard

From the great war to help him build it so that he can take over the universe?"

"Yes."

"And you heard all of this from a soul sucking demon who lives in your head?" Lydia finished. Sol nodded once more. Lydia looked Sol straight in the eye for several seconds and then leaned back. "…Okay. Now that we're all caught up, I think that the first order of business is to decide what to do with this guy over here." Lydia pointed to Captain Gillian who was still tied up and looking way more than a bit irritated.

"I-I already said you could let him go!" Sol yelled. "He's on our side! I'm telling you!"

"Yeah! Look, Sol vouches for me so that should be enough right?" Gillian said, smiling with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Lydia leaned in close and looked deep into his eyes. "I don't know… I still don't buy it."

"Why would I lie about this?" Sol asked.

"It's not you, it's him. You said it yourself. You haven't had any contact until just recently right? A lot of stuff can happen in 7 years. Plus his timing just seemed a little too convenient." Lydia said.

Sol paused for a minute to absorb this information and gave a suspicious glare at Gillian.

"What? Oh come on! You can't be serious!" Gillian yelled in anger. "If I was really trying to trap you, I'd have a whole bunch of guys ready and waiting just to ambush you!" Gillian pointed out.

As if to spite him, Captain Mason and at least two dozen other paladins emerged from the bushes, weapons drawn. "Finally found you!"

Gillian's face immediately drained of color. He looked over and saw Sol and the others glaring at him intensely. "It wasn't me, I sear it! I know how this looks but I swear to God I didn't call _any_ of them!"

"You didn't have to!" Marina said. "Do you honestly think that a person of your status could just waltz in and out of my city without someone informing me? That's an amateur mistake Gillian." Marina shook her head in disappointment.

"Not very good at covering our tracks, are we?" Lydia teased.

"Sh-shut up! I'm a mage, not an assassin!" Gillian yelled defensively.

"Moving on…" Marina pointed her wooden sword at Sol and grinned. "Just come quietly and no one has to get hurt. What do you say?"

"Can't you just let me off with a warning?" Sol asked.

"I'll take that as a no." Marina darted forward and attempted to strike at Sol's head.

Sol brought up his Katana and blocked the attack. However, despite coming into contact with his blade, the wooden sword wasn't sliced in half. Sol felt like he was pressing his blade against a rock. Without warning, a gust of wind pushed Sol back, almost knocking him over.

"It'll take more than a fancy letter opener to cut through Elleina." Marina declared, proudly.

"Oh, stop! You're making me blush!" Elleina's voice echoed from the wooden sword.

"Did that thing just talk?" Toran asked.

"Oh yeah… I forgot to mention that Marina's sword is a spirit weapon. It can't get damaged by normal means." Gillian pointed out.

"Oh come on!" Sol yelled.

"Guys, brace yourselves!" Lydia yelled.

"Huh?" Before anyone could react, Lydia punched the ground with enough force to crush a stone wall. The ground beneath them shook, cracked, and broke apart. Trees fell, animals ran from their hiding places, and dirt and debris was thrown up into the air.

"Run! Now!" Sol and the others darted off into the woods during the ensuing confusion.

"(cough, cough) Damn it!" Marina stood up and wiped off some of the dirt on her face. "Anyone who's able to, chase after them!" Marina ordered. Several guards ran off into different parts of the woods.

"No! Call them back!" Gillian said, crawling like an inchworm over to Marina. "We're talking about a group that can go up against Soma's entire division and win. Those guys won't be able to handle them!"

Marina clenched her fists in frustration. A golden opportunity popped up right in front of her and she couldn't do a thing. "Damn…Damn it!"

**With Sol's group**

Sol darted through the thick forests, taking random turns in an attempt to lose his pursuers. He looked to his sides and could barely make out the others doing the same. Before long, the paladins that were chasing them backed off. Sol stopped and watched them retreat. He looked around and saw Diana staring at him. She gestured for him to follow her and he did. A few more minutes of running and all five of them were in a small clearing.

"All right! Mission accomplished!" Lydia punched her fist into the air and grinned.

"Why did they retreat?" Toran asked.

"A trap?" Rudi suggested.

"That's not it at all. It's just because we're too badass!" Lydia declared.

"I highly doubt that." Diana said. "So…What's our next move?" Diana and the others turned to Sol.

"Sleep." Sol fell face first into the dirt. "If the enemy is willing to cut us some slack, I say we use what little time we have to rest. We can form a plan in the morning." Sol stretched.

Diana looked up and saw a brilliant orange glow outlining the rim of the sky. "I suppose it is a little late." The group decided to set up camp and rest.

**Soma's camp**

Soma stood in a small field on the outskirts of his cam, looking up at the clear night sky. The cool breeze swept through the tall grass causing them to sway like water. The stars were shining as bright as they always did with the full moon looking down on him from the heavens. He was thinking about what their next move should be. Whatever trail the black knights left should have disappeared by now. He suddenly remembered the pendant Shaosu retrieved during their fight in barri Dungeon. He had given it to Nao in the hopes that she could translate it's inscription but to no avail. He turned around to head back to his tent but a searing pain suddenly shot through his arm. _"Damn it! Not again…"_ Soma thought as he fell to his knees and clutched his right arm in pain. _"It's even worse than before…I don't…"_ Soma fell on his side and drifted into unconsciousness.

Soma's eyes fluttered open, revealing very unfamiliar surroundings. Actually, it would be more accurate to say NO surroundings. Soma stood up and saw nothing but darkness in every direction. "Sera!" Soma called out. "Shaosu! Nao!" Soma received no answer. Soma immediately tried to retrace his steps to figure out how he got here. He wondered if he was caught in some sort of trap or if he was simply dreaming. At the corner of his eye and several feet away, a bright spotlight shined down from an unknown source. One second later, a beautiful young woman wearing a long white dress, with black hair and wings. Soma immediately recognized her as the Goddess he had sworn absolute loyalty to gain the power he has now. "Morrighan…"

"Soma…" she extended her hand, beckoning him to come toward her. Without hesitation, Soma stepped forward and took her hand in his. He knelt down, still clasping her palm, and bowed his head. For the most part, he did so out of humility. However, there was also the fact that he didn't want to look at her face which reminded him so much of Luna.

"What is it that you require of me?" Soma asked.

"You must hurry!" Morrighan said. "I've seen a great wave of destruction and death washing over this land. Soon, all of Erinn will be engulfed in flames!" the urgency in Morrighan's voice prompted Soma to look at her directly. "Not only that but…the dark nights plan on unleashing an ancient monstrosity known as Glas Ghaibhleann whose power rivals even that of the gods. My body as well as my power is sealed by five magic stones. I need you to break the barrier to this realm and free me. If you make it in time, I will be able to stop Glas Ghaibhleann for you." Morrighan knelt down to Soma's level and looked him in the eye. "But you must hurry! That monster is almost complete. Break the seal, free me, and we yet be able to halt Cichol's advance." Morrighan caressed Soma's cheek, tenderly. "Please…brother…" for a brief instant, Morrighans eyes opened to reveal the crimson irises he and his sister shared.

"Luna…" a blinding flash of light engulfed Soma who woke up on his back in his bed. He rubbed his forehead and sat up. Soma noticed the sunlight streaming in through a crack in the door of his tent. He also noticed that his armor had been removed and he was now only wearing a thin black shirt and forest green pants. Small trickles of light filtered through the small holes in the fabric of the tent and he realized it was morning. Soma exited his tent and nearly bumped into Sera who had a small pail of water and wash cloth.

"Oh! Captain, are you alright?" Sera asked. "We found you unconscious in the field and brought you back here. What happened out there, sir?"

"You see…" Soma was interrupted by Morrighan's voice echoing in his head.

"_Sol will also be waiting…_"

Soma clenched his fists. "Gather the troops! We're leaving." Soma turned back inside of the tent and found his armor off to the side.

"Leaving? Where to?" Sera asked.

"Which town is the closest to us?" Soma asked as he strapped on his boots.

"Dunbarton. Wait, we're heading to Dunbarton? Why?"

"To resupply and to gather information." As soon as Soma finished clasping on his gauntlets he walked to the center of the camp and yelled to wake everyone up. "We've no time to waste! Move it, people! Move!" Soon, the camp was bustling with activity.

**With Sai**

Sai cautiously walked up the stairs to his apartment on the second floor, the two bags of groceries shifting with each step. "Come on…" Sai did his best not to drop anything. After a perilous flight of steps and a brief struggle to find his key, Sai stumbled through the door and plopped the bags on the center table.

His apartment wasn't very big with only two actual rooms, one of which was the bathroom. His bed was stuffed into the corner on the right and the only other pieces of furniture he had were three chairs, a table, a semi large cabinet, and two shelves that were partially filled with books. The only foods he brought in were fruits and vegetables. If he wanted cooked food, he usually had to go out to a restaurant or wait for a handout from one of his friends.

Sai liked it this way, however. The reason for this is because that it would be easy to notice if something was wrong or out of place. In a large house, it would be a while before you noticed something out of the ordinary, but for Sai, once he shifted his focus away from the food he bought, he immediately knew what was wrong. The window was open and his sister was gone. He threw open the door to the bathroom and checked under the bed but found nothing. He leaned out of his window, desperate to find even the slightest trace of her, but to no avail. He knew of only one possible place she could've gone. "Damn…" he grabbed his sword and ran out the door.

**Adrian's cell**

Adrian sat on the stone bench in his cell, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. He wondered what the others would do if they ever found him. They'd most likely kill him for his failure. Even with the prospect of death hanging over him, he felt an odd sense of serenity. He had shaken the very foundations of an entire city and brought several paladins to their knees. The others may have been the actual muscle in the operation but without his power, his music, as the catalyst, it would not have turned out as it did now. Even if he was to die now, the fact that he was able to deal the paladins such a blow was enough to satisfy him.

Adrian could hear the muffled grunts of the guards outside his cell through his earplugs. He wondered if it was his savior or executioner. Before he knew it, his hands were untied, ears unplugged, the gag removed, and as soon as the blindfold came off, he grinned. Fate had not forsaken him yet. In front of him stood his favorite puppet, Mai, with the same blank expression on her face. "You're timing couldn't have been better. I shudder to think what these brutes would have done to me had you not arrived…" Adrian turned towards the entrance to his cell. "…Ceez."

Ceez was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "Aw, come on Doc. You know I can't just leave a comrade out to dry." Ceez said in a half sarcastic tone.

"Why do you insist on calling me that, Doc, I mean." Adrian said.

"You're able to bring dead men back from the grave. If that doesn't give you _some_ credit as a doctor, I don't know what will." Ceez replied.

"I also keep telling you that these aren't full blown resurrections. They're much closer to puppets than anything else." Adrian explained. "With you, you were only half dead when the process was started so we at least had some grasp on the soul attached to your body, however faint it was." He placed his hand on Mai's shoulder. "This girl's neck was cut clean open. There was no life or consciousness left within her and there never will be again."

"I don't know about that one, Doc." Ceez took a step closer to Mai and squatted down. "I mean just look at her. Don't her eyes look just a bit livelier?"

Adrian gave him a quizzical look and turned Mai's face to his. It was true. Although it may not have been visible to anyone else, Adrian could tell right away that something was a little off with his doll. Her eyes did have a bit more focus to them. They had more luster, more life. It wasn't giving any indication to actual self awareness, but still… "We'll have to fix that." Adrian said, coldly. "At any rate, how do we escape? Come to think of it, how did you even get in?" Adrian heard a crash and screaming upstairs.

"I have my methods." Ceez said, drawing his sword. "While my boys keep everyone busy upstairs, I suggest we make a break for it."

"You always did prefer the straightforward solution." Adrian cracked his neck and stretched. "Don't expect me to do much fighting without my piano, though. I can manage a few minor spells and that's about it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ceez shrugged his shoulders. Mai drew out a small dagger and walked between him and Adrian. "You're pretty dedicated, aren't ya?" Ceez grinned. "You know, we corpses ought to stick together." With one swift kick, Ceez busted open the doors to the rest of the paladin HQ.

**With Sai**

Sai entered HQ to find the building in chaos. Several of the guards were fighting black armored soldiers while the civilian staff either ran or cowered in the corners. "It's already this bad?" Sai drew his sword and swung it. The blade then fragmented, revealing the chain link whip in between each segment. He swung the sword whip which rapped itself around a Dark knight that was about to attack one of the desk workers. Another swing and his would be opponent was slammed into the ceiling. A bright light enveloped Sai as he transformed into his paladin armor. He ran through the lobby and down the halls to get to the prison area, taking down anyone who tried to stop him. Surprisingly, he didn't see any actual casualties. There were dozens of injured to be sure, but as far as Sai knew, no one had been killed yet.

Eventually, he came upon the busted door to the prison cells along with an unconscious guard. "Hey…come on, wake up!" Sai shook the guard awake and asked him where the prisoners went. The guard pointed down the hall that led to the right and Sai darted off after them.

**With Adrian, Ceez, and Mai**

Ceez and the others had dispatched all the guards in the mess hall. "This is just a mess." Ceez scratched the back of his head. "I didn't think their response would be this slow. My plan

was to have everyone attack the front desk and have all guards focused on them but I guess the fighting didn't spread as fast as I'd hoped."

"It's because you're so obsessed with finishing the objective that you forget everything you do along the way." Adrian scolded. "To be frank, a half-assed effort is the same as no effort." Adrian examined the soldier Mai and Ceez had defeated. "Speaking of Half-assed... why aren't they dead yet?" Adrian gestured over to one of the employees who were pinned under a desk. They weren't knights or even warriors; they were just the guys who kept the books organized on the shelves.

"Does it really matter?" Ceez asked.

"Do I have to remind you that you aren't human anymore? You shouldn't have any qualms about this." Adrian snapped his fingers and Mai raised her dagger. "Do it."

Ceez winced but he didn't look away. Although he didn't like it, Adrian had a point. Ever since he was revived, he lost the luxury of averting his gaze from the truth. Just as the dagger was about to pierce their skulls, the tip of a blade swooped in and knocked Mai's strike off course. Ceez soon realized that it wasn't exactly a sword; so much as it was a metal whip. There were sections of a blade connected together by chains to form a whip. Adrian looked over and saw Sai holding the handle of the weapon he just used.

"Finally caught up with you…" Sai grinned as he retracted his weapon. "I think it's about time I finished you bastards off." Sai charged at Adrian as Ceez and Mai stepped in front of him to block his attack.

"Hey…Can't you make some kind of portal?" Ceez asked as he shoved Sai away.

"I don't have the strength; they barely fed me in this dump. I was being tortured for information not pampered at a luxury hotel." Adrian said.

"Are you serious! Whoah!" Ceez saw Sai's whip sword wrap around his arm. Sai swung him through the air and into a wall.

Mai managed to sneak up on her brother and attempted to stab him. However, Sai's steel gauntlets prevented any of her attacks from reaching his flesh. Mai leaped back and threw her dagger at Sai's head. Sai retracted his sword and knocked it away. Before he realized it, Mai was already inches away from his face, wielding one of the weapons left by the fallen guards. Sai and Mai's weapons clashed as the siblings glared at each other. "That's my younger sister for ya…Even in death, she still won't let up…" Sai grinned. "Remember how we used to practice at home? You'd always yell at me and Kai since we usually ended up breaking something whenever we sparred."

Adrian charged a lightning spell in his hand and aimed it at Sai's torso while he was distracted. Mai glanced at Adrian and leaped back. Just as Adrian fired his spell, she took one more strike at Sai which caused the young lieutenant to leap back and avoid the spell. "Tch! You stupid Doll! Stay the hell out of my way!" Adrian was about to charge another spell when Ceez interrupted him.

He got between Adrian and Sai and called out to him. "Just get out of here! This whole thing would've been pointless if you ended up dead." Ceez yelled. Adrian seemed hesitant but left with Mai following closely.

"Hey! Get back here, dammit!" Sai called out to them but was forced to focus on Ceez.

"_When Adrian was about to fire that spell a moment ago…" _Ceez remembered how Mai forced Sai to dodge hers and Adrian's attacks. _"It could've just been an error on Mai's part but she usually well synced with Adrian's moves. She definitely should've been able to tell what Adrian was planning to do. So then why did she…?"_ Ceez pushed these thoughts to the back of his head and decided to focus his attention on Sai. As the two of them exchanged attacks, a third participant leapt into the fray.

"Captain Mason!" Sai stepped back as Marina slammed her wooden sword into the floor, creating a massive shockwave.

"You have a lot of nerve to attack _my_ headquarters." Marina said as a bright aura surrounded her sword. Elleina's spirit manifested next to Marina and glared at Ceez.

"A spirit weapon…interesting." Ceez grinned as he charged at the two paladins.

**The lobby**

Adrian and Mai ran through the halls and entered the lobby where several black knights and Paladins lay motionless on the floor. Adrian saw several black cloaked individuals and recognized them from his research team. "Finally, are you hear to take us out?" Adrian walked up to them with confidence. One of the cloaked figures waved his hand and a black cloud appeared and formed a loose doorway. Adrian and Mai were about to enter when a large ice spike forced them to step back.

"Leaving already? I thought we really bonded during our last…Discussion" Gillian said.

Adrian snapped his fingers and several black knights attacked Gillian from behind.

"I'd love to take you down myself but I just don't feel quite up to it." Adrian gave a sarcastic grin as he stepped through the doorway.

"Don't you dare run away from me!"Gillian blew the black knights away with one of his spells and attempted to attack Adrian only to be swatted out of the way by the cloaked figure who originally opened the portal. The cloaked individual disappeared in a column of fire as Gillian finished him off. "Damn…"

**With Ceez, Sai and Marina**

A voice rang in Ceez's head and he grinned. Sai expected an attack but Ceez simply relaxed his stance. "Looks like the mission was a success. Sorry you two, look like we won this round." Ceez said casually. "I'd love to stick around and chat, but I've got places to go, you know how it works." Ceez produced his own doorway and entered. Sai tried to attack him but it was too late, he was gone.

"Damn it…DAMN IT!" Sai slammed his fist into the floor. Once again, his sister was taken.

Marina glanced around at the destroyed mess hall and frowned. "This was just disgraceful…"

**With Sol**

Sol sat against the tree with a blank expression on his face. He had just received a dream with Morrighan urging him to enter Tir Na Nogg. Sol rubbed his eyes and yawned. "How are we supposed to open the gates? It's not like there's a key laying around here…"

"Sol! Come on!" Toran yelled.

"Oh…right." Sol stood up and shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight. The five of them stopped to rest in the logging camp in Dugald Aisle. For some reason, the Paladins had withdrawn from the area probably to help in the clean up from the attack on Emain Macha. Tracy welcomed them with open arms when they came and gave a huge feast to commemorate the reunion. "Where's Diana?" Sol asked when he realized they were one short.

"Huh? Oh yeah, where is she?" Lydia and Rudi looked around.

Sol suddenly remembered something at turned away. "I think I know… I'll be right back, just wait a sec." Sol darted off to a small hill overlooking the camp. When he reached the peak, he saw Diana kneeling in front of a tombstone with her crossbow next to her on the ground. Sol remembered how Diana's entire mercenary band was killed when he arrived there. After the whole ordeal it didn't take him long to realize that the goblins that attacked them were probably sent after him in the first place which would indirectly make Sol responsible for their deaths, although Diana denied his self-accusation.

"Hey…" Sol asked. "…do you need more time?"

Diana stood up but didn't turn. "You know, I just realized how little we stop to take it all in. We sort of rush from one point to another without really thinking about it." Diana gave a soft smile. "Back when I first joined you, I sort of just tagged along without a second thought. You must've thought it was strange, how I never really grieved for them. I think…I just didn't want to fully grasp what had happened. My entire life was reset in this place thanks to a horrible…yet sort of beautiful…twist of fate. I know things are about to get a little crazy soon, so I just wanted to say everything I wanted to these guys before we head out." Diana turned and picked up her crossbow and slung it along her back. "Let's go!"

They arrived on the outskirts of Tir Chonail within a matter of hours. The amount traffic going to and from the town had increased substantially. Travelers and adventurers of all kinds were buzzing about the town square. The group eventually made their way to the Piaras Inn which was also much more lively than usual. When they opened the doors, the entire café that encompassed the lobby was filled. Sol spotted Nora and several others he didn't recognize running hastily from table to table. Sol called out to her but she simply gave them a typical greeting that a waitress would to a customer and seated them in a table in the corner.

"Just sit here and I'll come back to take your order!" Nora bowed and quickly darted off to another table that had been seated before they arrived.

"Maybe it was a bad time for us to come here." Toran said. "Why did we even come back?"

"I want Tarlach's opinion on what we've managed to dig up so far. Also, based on that recent message from the goddess, I want to know if Tarlach knows how to pen the seal to Tir na nogg." Sol explained.

"Why don't you ask Vice?" Lydia said as she kicked her feet up onto the table.

"I did, but he said that he wouldn't be able to do that in his current state." Sol explained.

"Why not? He seems powerful enough."

"It's not really a question of strength but…there's a specific item we need and he doesn't have it." Sol explained.

"Oh, I see…So why are we at the Inn?" Diana asked.

"Uh…well, It's just that…we use this place so many times, I figured that we should at least stop by to say hi whenever we're in town, right?"

Diana gave a suspicious look at Sol and was about to say something when Nora suddenly returned.

"Sorry for the wait! We've been swamped with customers lately and…Oh! It's you guys!" Nora finally recognized them without the barrage of orders coming from the other patrons. Sol could also see the other employees slumped against the wall near the counter in the back.

"Busy today?" Toran asked.

"Yeah, it's been like this the past few days, we've even had to hire a bunch of vagrants for part time work just to keep up with everything!" Nora chuckled.

"Hey, don't call us vagrants!" one of the newer employees yelled. It wasn't long before several more people started asking for a waiter and suddenly, they were back in action.

"We can talk later, we actually just came in to say hi, and so we'll be leaving." Diana said.

"Oh, well okay. Where are you guys going?" Nora asked.

"Sidhe Sneachta. We need to ask Tarlach something." Sol answered.

**Sidhe Sneachta**

Sol and the others waded through the eternal blizzard that engulfed the mountainous region just behind Tir Chonail. The snow crunched beneath their feet and the winds howled like a banshee through the forest.

"Is it me…or does this get worse every time we come here!" Sol said, sniffling.

"Toran! Can you still recognize the trail to Tarlach's camp?" Diana called out to Toran who was at the head of the group.

"I…I think so! It should be a little further ahead!" The five of them soon came upon the unusually small tent that Tarlach called his home. Toran could see his silhouette through the fabric. "Mr. Tarlach…sir…" Toran called out, his voice partially drowned out by the blizzard.

Tarlach, nonetheless, heard him and peeked out of the entrance to his tent, a teapot boiling on the fire in front of him. He briefly examined them before rushing them inside. "Don't just stand there, come in! And you don't have to bother with 'Mister' by the way." The Tarlach, Toran, Sol, Diana, and Lydia huddled in a tight circle around the fire. Rudi opted to stay outside since he couldn't fit through the doorway.

"Are you sure about this?" Lydia asked with a look of worry.

"Did you forget I'm a giant? We're used to cold weather like this." Rudi gave her a reassuring smile and sat down, the light of the fire causing his silhouette to engulf everyone else's.

"Right then…What is it that you need?" Tarlach reached into his bag and pulled out 6 cups, a bag of sugar, and a spoon. "You actually came at just the right moment, I wasn't sure if I could finish the whole pot." Tarlach poured each of them a glass.

"We need to know how to open the door to paradise." Sol said, flatly.

Tarlach sputtered as he drank his tea but managed to gulp it down. "What? Why? Didn't you see what happened in the memories!" Tarlach asked. "Half of the reason I gave you those old glasses was to convince you not to chase after Tir na Nogg!"

"Well, you pretty much had the opposite effect. Now that we've seen what's going on, we can't exactly ignore this." Lydia said.

"You'll only be walking towards your graves. The goddess will make sure of that. She's luring you into a trap!" Tarlach yelled, almost spilling his tea.

"About that…Tarlach, you should know something." Sol held a serious expression on his face as he described to Tarlach the truth that they had uncovered. He told him about Mores, and his past, as well as how Cichol disguised himself as the Goddess to manipulate him to do his bidding. He also explained how the Goddess is still trapped in Tir Na Nogg, her power growing weaker by the minute.

"That…That can't be…." Tarlach was in shock. "How am I supposed to believe that's true!"

"I know you don't exactly know us very well, but you can tell that I'm telling the truth, can't you?" Sol and Tarlach stared deep into each other's eyes.

"But…If the Goddess really is in trouble then…Damn it! What the hell have I been doing all this time!" Tarlach punched the snow as hard as he could.

"No one is blaming you. Anyone would've reacted the same way in your position." Toran said, placing a hand on Tarlach's shoulder.

"I know this is a lot to take in but… could you tell us how to get to Tir Na Nogg?" Sol asked again.

Tarlach was silent for several minutes before finally uttering a name. "Kristell, She's a priestess in Dunbarton. She should be able to help you."

"Kristell?" Diana repeated the name under her breath.

"Oh!" Sol suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you something the last time we were here!" Sol scooted a little closer to a perplexed Tarlach. "It's a message from Kristell." Tarlach seemed a little more attentive. "She wanted me to tell you that…her feelings won't change. No matter what happens, she'll be waiting for you."

Tarlach took a moment to absorb this information and reached into his bag. He pulled out a book and opened it. He then pulled out a black rose from between the pages. "When you see Kristell, would you please give this to her?" Tarlach handed the Rose to Toran. "It's seen a lot of wear and tear over the past couple of years, though, so you may want to be careful."

"We could probable restore it with magic. I just need some holy water or something…" Toran said as he carefully took the flower.

"Maybe the guys at the school have some?" Diana said.

"Alright, we'll look there." Sol stood up and turned back to Tarlach. "Thank you very much." Sol bowed his head and left with the others.

"Did you catch all of that?" Lydia asked Rudi who nodded in confirmation. The five of them continued their trek back to town.

**Dunbarton, Paladin HQ**

"I can't believe I let this happen…"Marina, Gillian, and Sai stood in the captains ruined office. Marina's desk had been broken in half while several of the drawers and cabinets had been emptied. "It's a good thing we didn't keep any important documents in this building otherwise we would've been doubly screwed." Marina looked out of her window and observed the few remaining, able bodied staff cooperate with the townspeople to clean up the rubble. "We're too widely spread out. There were barely enough people here to keep the place organized let alone defend against an attack."

"I guess we still need to grow out of the "no one would ever dare attack us" mentality." Gillian said.

"Sir!" A messenger appeared in the doorway with an envelope in his hand and stepped over to captain Mason.

She took the letter and read it quickly. "Hm…it seems Soma will be returning soon. He should arrive later today but says that he won't have time to check in with us upon his arrival." Mason dismissed the messenger and placed the letter in her pocket.

"Is there any news about captain River?" Sai asked.

"Where _is_ River, anyway?" Gillian asked.

"He was assigned to help with the restoration of Emain Macha. He'll probably get reassigned after a few months, though. He's not too keen on 'grunt work'." Marina said.

"I see…Then why isn't Sai with him?" Gillian asked.

"Since they captured my sister as well as Adrian, they figured I would be the best choice to look after her." Sai explained.

"Alright, then." Gillian stretched and walked out the door. "I suppose I'll take a look around and see what needs doing! I suggest you do the same."

**With Sol's group**

Sol and the others were approaching the front gates of Dunbarton. The five of them had left the inn very early in the morning in order to arrive before noon. All five of them were wrapped in hooded robes although none of them thought it would do them much good.

"We may have to resort to knocking the guards out if they search us…" Sol muttered to himself.

"Are you sure that the rose is okay?" Lydia asked Toran.

Toran pulled out a medium sized jar with the rose inside it. "Yeah, that holy water definitely did the trick." Toran placed the jar back into his bag with a confident smile on his face. As the five of them drew closer to the main gates, they were surprised to find none of the usual paladin guards stationed there. Instead, there were two normal town guardsman stationed there.

"Did the paladins pull out?" Diana asked.

"I doubt it. Maybe they were attacked or something." Sol speculated.

When the group finally reached the gates, it was made clear that the guards stationed there were rookies. Even when one of them spotted Sol's face, they didn't even bother to double check his identity.

"That was a little scary, how smooth that went." Toran said as they walked into town.

"They must be _really_ shorthanded if they have rookies standing guard." Lydia commented.

"We should ask around after we've talked to Kristell." Toran suggested.

"We should stick to the back alleys. Even if they're shorthanded there's still a chance that they could catch us." Sol said. "What is this sick feeling I'm getting?" Sol muttered to himself.

**With Soma**

"Home sweet home…I guess." Shaosu said. Soma and the others had recently entered the city. "Hey, would it be okay if I visited Rischiev and Shadow?" Shaosu asked.

"I don't see any problem." Soma replied. "While you're at it, why don't you inform Captain Mason and Gillian that we've arrived?"

"Understood, sir!" Shaosu saluted

"Permission to accompany him?" Nao said.

"You're not technically part of the army so you don't really need to ask." Kai pointed out.

Shaosu and Nao walked towards the Paladin HQ while Soma, Kai, and Sera started walking towards the Chapel. "Sir…where, exactly, are we going?" Sera asked.

"We're going to chapel." Soma responded. "Something is…drawing me there." Soma clutched his arm as a light surge of pain shot through it. "What is this sick feeling?"

**Elsewhere**

"Both Sol _and_ Soma are in the city?" Diran asked with an intrigued grin on his face. "That's just rich." Diran chuckled.

"What do intend to do, Diran?" Tanya asked.

"Well…we have some gunpowder and a lit match. What the hell? Let's start some fireworks." Diran gave a malicious grin.

**With Shaosu**

Shaosu walked up to the apartment room that Rischiev had been staying in since the attack on Emain Macha.

"What are you waiting for?" Nao asked.

"It just feels a little awkward…I mean, the last time I saw him was when he was trying to bash my brains out." Shaosu said.

"I'm sure it'll be alright." Nao reassured him.

Shaosu knocked on Rischievs door and before long, he was greeted by his guardian's wide grin.

"Shaosu! Long time no see!" Rischiev grabbed Shaosu by the shoulders and put in a headlock.

"H-hey! Come on, I'm not a kid anymore!"

"How have you been, Rischiev?" Nao asked with a warm smile.

"Just fine! Although it was a bit rude for you to just take off like that." Rischiev released Shaosu. "When I woke up on the floor, our roof was practically gone and some guardsman was telling that you and your unit just left the city. You could've at least left a note or something." Rischiev's voice held a harsh tone but anyone could tell that he only half meant it.

"Sorry for contacting you sooner." Shasou grinned. "I'm glad to see you two are doing alright."

"Yeah well…enough standing around out here! I've got lunch cooking and I should give you the grand tour of the apartment." Rischiev, Shadow, Nao, and Shaosu entered the apartment door.

**With Sol and the others**

"Are you really okay?" Diana asked.

"Yeah…I guess." Sol looked like he was about to throw up but still kept on walking. "The chapel should be right here." The five of them stood in front of Dunbarton's small chapel which was home to the former succubus Kristell.

Toran stepped forward and knocked on the front door. Before long, Kristell stepped out and greeted all of them. "Oh, it's you! Did you find the answers you wanted?" Kristell addressed Sol.

"Something like that…" Sol said, forcing a smile.

"Well then, please come in."

**20 minutes later**

"The gate to paradise?" Kristell repeated the words.

"Yes. We believe the goddess is trapped on the other side and Tarlach said that you were someone who could help us open the gates." Sol explained.

"I…I don't know if I should." Kristell said.

"Why do you say that?" Sol asked.

"If I let you enter the other side, the only thing that will await you is utter destruction. When Tarlach returned from his search he was barely alive when I found him. It took weeks before he was able to even walk on his own." Kristell had a bitter look on her face. "That dead look in his eyes…I don't want to see anyone become like that."

"We'll all be destroyed anyway if Cichol and the others are allowed to continue." Sol pointed out.

"Even so…I just…" Kristell seemed conflicted.

"Ms. Kristell." Toran pulled out the black rose that Tarlach had given them. "This is a present from Tarlach." Kristell gently took the rose out of Toran's hands and gazed at it with a nostalgic look on her face. Tears seemed to well up at the edges of her eyes at the sight of it. "The song I sang to Tarlach when we first met…It's title was "The Black Rose."

"Kristell, it was Tarlach who told us to seek you out. He truly believes that we can save the goddess. If you still need further proof, just tell us what we need to do." Toran said, his eyes burning with determination.

"Your eyes…they're the same as Tarlach's when I first saw him…" Kristell faced everyone else. "Tell me….Why are all of you fighting?"

"Do you remember the incident at the school that occurred several months ago? My… my friend Cleo…She was so vibrant, so full of life, and in an instant she was taken away. I want to prevent tragedies like that from happening ever again." Toran stated.

"Those bastards killed every single person that I ever considered to be my family. I won't rest until they know exactly who they messed with." Diana's words trembled with anger.

"Me and Rudi have a score to settle with two specific members of the dark knights. It's not as grand as Diana's and Toran's reasons but we've stuck it out together so far so why not go all the way." Lydia punched her knuckles together as Rudi nodded in agreement.

"To fulfill a promise…because of these fomors, the lives of some of my closest friends were cut short. One of them…hadn't even experienced the outside world yet." An image of Luna flashed through Sol's mind. "I won't let them off the hook so easily."

Kristell stared into the eyes of each of the people before her. Every single one of them had their own scars and their own demons to deal with. But she could tell that each one of them also had no regrets or hesitation about the decision they've made. Smiling to herself, Kristell finally spoke. "All right. I'll help you."

"Really?" Sol smiled, forgetting the sick feeling he had earlier. "Yes!" Sol punched his fist into the air.

"I'll provide the pass for you to get in." Kristell placed the black rose on the table, turned and walked to the back of the chapel and quickly returned with a black rectangular piece of paper. It had the fomor symbol stamped in red ink at the top. "If you use this, it should open the gateway to Tir Na No-"

The sound of breaking wood and a ripping sound was heard which caused Kristell's voice to die in her mouth. A bloody, armored hand ripped through Kristell's chest from behind and grabbed the pass just as Sol placed his hand on it. A look of horror spread across everyone's faces.

"You…" Lydia recognized the person immediately.

"Well, look who decided to show up." Diran grinned sadistically as he yanked his hand, along with the pass, out of Kristell's chest. A large hole in the roof was where he made his entrance. "Long time no see."

Kristell coughed up blood which splattered onto Sol's hands and Shirt. She fell over into his arms. Sol stood there, speechless.

"I really didn't want it to come to this, Kristell, but I just couldn't resist."

"The portal…cough…is in…barri…duh…"

Sol dropped to his knees and gently laid Kristell down on the floor. He could see her attempting to reach for the black rose on the table, desperately. Sol crossed Kristell's hands over her chest and placed the black rose in between them.

Sol spoke, refusing to look up. "What are you guys waiting for?" Sol faced Diran, his blue eyes turning into a furious yellow. "KIL THE BASTARD!"

With that, Lydia and Rudi attacked without hesitation, destroying parts of the floor. Diana fired several arrows while Toran shot fire balls. Diran dodged all of them. Diran leaped into the air and out of the hole in the roof. "By the way, kid!" Diran addressed Sol. "Give my regards to your friend when he arrives." Diran ducked out of sight.

"My friend?"

As Sol repeated those words, the doors to the chapel were swung open with Soma, Sera, and Kai entering the main hall. What Soma saw was Sol covered in blood, arrows and destroyed sections of the floor, and a fire raging around the far side of the room.

"You…" Soma gritted his teeth in anger as he reached for his claymore.

"Soma…Listen, I…" Sol struggled to find the right words but he couldn't think of a proper explanation. Kristell lying on the ground, a bloody hole in her chest, coupled with the fire spreading around them, reminded both Sol and Soma of that horrible night.

"How dare you!" Soma drew his claymore and charged at Sol who drew his Katana in self defense.

"What are you waiting for? Go! Get him!" Sol yelled to Lydia and Rudi.

"R-right." Lydia leaped up after Diran while Rudi shoved his way past the other paladins and out of the front doors.

"I guess that sick feeling I had was because of you…" Soma said as his blade grinded against Sol's.

"Likewise…" Sol shoved Soma away and the two of them readied themselves for another attack. Toran, Diana, Sera, and Kai also stood next to their respective leaders and prepared for the worst.

"Anything you want to say as an excuse?" Soma asked.

"Like it would make a difference.

**A few buildings away**

"That was simply beautiful!" Diran proclaimed. Tanya and a few other dark knights stood behind him. "Could you imagine a more perfect set up! This just might kill two birds with one stone." Diran turned his attention to the black pass in his hands. "Now to dispose of this."

"Hey!" Lydia and Rudi both appeared on the same roof as Diran and Tanya. "I'd like that back, if you please."

Diran grinned. "I could have a little fun with this…" Diran stuffed the pass into his pocket and attacked.

**With Shaosu and Nao**

"Hm?" Shaosu finished his soup and saw Nao staring out of the window. "What's wrong?" He soon noticed she was shaking. "Whoah, whoah, whoah! Shaosu rushed over and looked Nao in the eyes. "What's going on?"

"Something…Something terrible is about to happen…" Nao said, a look of terror on her face.

**To be continued**

Hello! Long time, no see and all that jazz. Sorry for the long, wait you should know the apology drill by now.

I really feel bad about leaving off on a cliff hanger here, especially considering how long it is between chapters. But I'm still not giving up.

However, things aren't gonna get any better update wise due to:

-Fucking college (on the 26th)

-I'm juggling two fics right now

-Fucking college

-I'm looking for a job

-Oh and fucking college. Granted I only have 3 classes in a day (one of which is only available on mon, wed, and fri so it's only two classes on tues and thurs.) but still…fucking college.

I'm sure you guys don't care for a detailed explanation of my woes but a guy has got to vent somehow. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time, whenever that is. Thank you so much for those who have stuck with me up until now and to you Godofmadness43 for providing a lot of support over the years.


	19. Chapter 19

What's up guys! Chapter 19 begins. Depending on how long it takes me to finish, I apologize profusely from leaving off on a huge cliffhanger on the last chapter. As a final side note before we begin, I'd like the say that I'm not sure if the following flashback scene was from the story or not since I've never played through the full story mode in Mabinogi before. It's actually based on a picture I once saw. So, without further delay, let's dive right into this sucker!

P.S. to anyone who hasn't noticed, I always used to use **bold** text whenever a transformed black knight was speaking and underline text when a paladin was speaking. I stopped doing this save for Cichol and Morgant simply due to laziness. If you didn't notice this or just don't care, then feel free to ignore this message.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 19: Antithesis**

_Tarlach stood under a tree on top of a hill overlooking a large field of grass. Small trickles of sunlight made their way through the leaves. Despite the relative peacefulness of his surroundings, Tarlach's emotions were far from stable. He and his companions searched, and fought for months trying to find their way to the fabled paradise, Tir Na Nogg. They encountered numerous trials and tribulations and all they earned for their efforts was betrayal. Ruairi and Mari ended up dead while Tarlach's body was left in such an unstable state that even now he was struggling to retain his current form as a human. On top of it all, even his own mentor had turned his back on him._

"_Are you sure about leaving?" a calm voice brought Tarlach back into the real world._

"_Yes, I am." Tarlach responded calmly. He turned around to face Kristell but was surprised at her new appearance. Her long flowing hair had been cut short and a nun's uniform replaced her revealing attire as a succubus. Tarlach was momentarily speechless._

"_Do you like it?" Kristell gave him a warm smile. "I figured that since I was defecting from Cichol's service I might as well go all the way and join the other side." _

"_I…see." Tarlach regains his composure and turned back to face the field. "I shouldn't stay here for very long. I'd only cause you trouble."_

"_That's not true! We could…maybe…" Kristell tried to think of a convincing reason for him to stay._

"_I can't hold this form for much longer. Even if I did stay with you, I'd never be able to stay in a normal town for too long."_

"_But…"_

"_Don't worry. I'll be fine." Tarlach gave her a reassuring smile. "Where will you go from here?"_

"_Dunbarton…I think."_

"_I'll head towards Tir Chonail. It's isolated enough that I won't cause any harm."_

"_Before you go..." Kristell went inside her small hut and came back out with a small box tied with a red ribbon. "Take this as something to remember me by."_

_Tarlach took it and opened the box. Inside was a rose with black petals. "Heh…clever." Tarlach gave a wry smile as he remembered the song Kristell first sang to him. "I'll be off now. I'd rather not have you see me change into…whatever my next for will be."_

"_Will we see each other again?" Kristell asked._

"_Who knows?"_

_Kristell watched as Tarlach walked further and further away from her. His form soon disappeared into the trees off in the distance. This would be the last time she ever saw him in human form._

**Present time, Dunbarton Chapel**

Kristell's pale body was laid down on the floor, her arms crossed over the hole in her chest left by Diran just moments before. The Black Rose that Tarlach had returned to her rested between her palms. Sol, Diana, and Toran stood nearby, their backs turned to her as they faced Soma, Sera, and Kai.

"It seems you've fallen back on old habits." Soma glared at Sol.

"Soma…Listen to me." Sol said trying to reason with is former friend.

"Go ahead and try to explain yourself. In a moment you won't be saying anything at all."

Without warning, Soma launched himself at Sol. He drew his claymore and swung diagonally in an attempt to slice Sol in half. However, his attack was blocked by Sol's katana. Soma's red eyes burned with anger while Sol's eyes showed uncertainty. "What's the matter!" Soma grabbed Sol by the collar and threw him across the room and out the chapel doors. "Where's the cold indifference you showed when you killed Luna!" Soma immediately charged out of the now broken chapel doors after Sol.

"Sol!" Before Diana could help him, she was stopped by Kai and Sera.

"I guess letting you go last time was a mistake." Sera readied her spear and faced Toran.

"You won't be going anywhere." Kai readied three arrows and aimed it at Diana's torso.

"Please, listen to us! This isn't what it seems." Toran attempted to explain but ended up having to dodge Sera's attacks as a result.

"Don't even bother!" sera yelled. "Once we've taken care of you, we'll go after your accomplices who escaped out of the roof!"

**Outside the chapel**

"Soma, hold on! We're wasting time!" Sol said as he parried Soma's attacks.

"All you have to do is surrender and I can end this quickly." Soma replied.

"That's not what I-gyah!" Sol blocked another one of Soma's attacks.

Soma and Sol continued to fight with Sol relying almost solely on the defensive. "What's the matter? Why won't you counter!" Soma yelled in frustration. Another surge of pain began to envelope Soma's arm. "Damn it! Why now!" Soma staggered back and attempted to shrug off the intense pain.

"Something doesn't feel right…" Sol felt a sense of uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. "Soma, what' happening?" Sol attempted to get closer but was forced back as Soma swung his blade.

"Don't start acting like friend to me after all this time!" Soma yelled. "You shouldn't worry about things that don't concern you…" The pain in his arm began to subside, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "You always were an idiot like that…"

"Looks who's talking." Although it sounded like a joke, Sol's expression was grave. _"Is…is his fomor blood finally awakening?"_ Sol kept these thoughts to himself as he readied for another one of Soma's attacks. His eyes held confidence that wasn't visible moments before.

"So we're back to the cold indifference." Soma readied his claymore as well. "Does this mean that you're ready to fight me for real?"

"That seems to be the quickest way out of this. I have a schedule to keep, after all." A black inky substance formed at Sol's feet and quickly began to cover his body. His eyes turned yellow as his transformation into an infra-black was complete. "Come."

Black wings suddenly spread from Soma's back as a blinding light emanated from his body. His armor was much sleeker than it used to be and it no longer carried the blue cross that represented Soma's unit. Blue fur outlined the edges of his armor and an intricately designed helmet completely covered his face. "It has become abundantly clear that I can't let you roam free_._" Soma clenched his fists. "I won't let you escape. Not after this."

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd use the "I won't let you escape" line." Sol mocked. Soma charged at Sol with all his strength.

**With Diran and Tanya**

"Wow…he's really going at it, isn't he?" Diran let out a low whistle as he observed the fight between Sol and Soma through a small telescope. "Now then…" Diran pulled out the black pass and examined it. "…what to do with this?"

"Destroy it." Tanya replied.

"But where's the fun in that?" Diran smiled. "I need to keep the bait if I want the fish to bite." Diran soon heard footsteps behind him. "Speak of the devil…" Diran turned to find Lydia and Rudi glaring at him.

"Hand. It. Over." Lydia said through gritted teeth.

"You mean this?" Diran waved the black pass in the air, mockingly. "I want to see which is faster…" Diran pinched two corners of the pass with each hand and held it in front of his face. "…your fist or my fingers." He then started to pull the pass apart.

"No!" Lydia leaped forward as soon as she realized what Diran was doing.

For a split second, Diran was confused. He pulled with all his strength but the pass refused to tear. It almost felt like trying to pull apart a sheet of plastic. The parchment the pass was printed on would not yield. Then, as soon as this realization dawned on him, Diran felt Lydia's fist impact his stomach. Time seemed to slow down as Diran turned to his right to find Tanya engaging Rudi with her two Axes. He kept a tight grip on the pass as he flew through the air. Saliva flew out of his mouth and his eyes bulged slightly. Diran skidded across the surface of the roof on the adjacent building to the one he was previously standing on. On his stomach, Diran pushed himself back up to face Lydia. His expression was one of both shock and excitement. "So you've finally done it!" Lydia was suddenly cloaked in the robes of the Flacons, the ancient warriors of the Elves from his home in Iria. A black Aura surrounded Diran as he too began his transformation. "Don't disappoint me!" Diran and Lydia charged at each other as soon as his transformation was complete.

Meanwhile, Tanya and Rudi had also entered their transformed states and moved their battle to the streets below. Gravel and white bricks flew through the air as they blocked and parried each other's attacks. Tanya's fur stood on end as she glared at Rudi. Even though he had transformed, there was a sort of stiffness in his movements. When one of her kind normally transformed like this, they were usually wild and erratic in their attack patter. With Rudi, his actions were too deliberate, almost as though he were holding something back.

"What is this!" Tanya yelled. "Why do you try to tame the beast within you!"

Rudi remained as silent as he usually was and increased the frequency of his attacks. None of them were landing any significant hits on Tanya which began to frustrate him. "What's the matter? Getting a little over eager, are we?" Tanya began to taunt Rudi as their fight continued. Although he appeared calm on the outside, the beast that Rudi had unleashed was proving difficult to control. He wanted to go all out against Tanya but within such a cramped and populated street below them, the collateral damage would be too great just for an advantage in a fight. Even with this in mind, Rudi struggled with a battle on two fronts with both Tanya and his inner beast.

**With Toran and Sera**

Toran was flung through one of the few intact windows of the chapel and into a small garden off to the side with Sera following soon after. Toran stood up and held up his hand to signal her to stop. "Please! Would you just listen?" Toran pleaded, his cloak was singed and had several holes from Sera's attacks. "We aren't the ones who murdered her! It was the dark knights!"

"Liar!" Sera slammed the butt of her spear into the ground which caused pillars of lightning to erupt and charge at Toran.

"Damn it! Barrier!" A large dome with strange runes appeared around Toran and neutralized the lightning strikes. "My friends are chasing after the real killers right now. If we stop fighting we can still catch up to them!" Toran yelled.

Sera scowled as she readied her spear and charged forward, missing Toran by a hair's breadth. "To be honest…" Sera started as she turned towards Toran. "It doesn't really matter if you killed Kristell or not. You've still committed several acts of violence within crowded areas in several towns. Not to mention you've resisted arrest at least 3 times since we've met."

"Actually…more like four" Toran said without thinking. "Ah! But aside from that, was what happened really that terrible?"

Sera pulled out a note pad and read off several charges. "Number one: Destroyed several mountain paths in Seadh Sneachta, making travel across the mountain difficult. Number two: Violent destruction of Dunbarton town Square during combat with Captain River, causing millions of gold coins in property damage. Number three: Collapsing a considerable section of a mining tunnel which was the life blood of Bangor." Sera closed her notepad and stuffed it back into her pocket. "Now we can add destruction of a chapel and most likely murder to that list as well. The way I see it, even if you are innocent in terms of Kristell's Murder, you still have a lot to answer for so I'll have to arrest you anyway." Sera said.

"But…The dark knights…" Toran started, trying to think of a good counter argument.

"…Will be taken care of by the paladins. If your friends take them out before we get there then it will just make our job easier for us."

For a brief moment, Toran was speechless. He thought for a moment and relaxed his stance. "Alright…You've made your point. However, what if I told you something interesting?"

"And that would be…?" sera asked.

"What if I told you that we had the ability to strike the black knights at their weakest point? I promise that if you let us go…no…If you help us, we may be able to put an end to this once and for all."

**With Sol and Soma**

Sol parried Soma's attacks as they came but was having trouble finding an opening to strike back. _"Damn it! Diran's probably already torn up the black pass by now!"_ Sol shot out a wave of dark energy which knocked Soma back several feet and into a small group of barrels. Sol then charged forward, as Soma attempted to stand, and slammed him through the wall of a building. "Did it knock him out?" Sol asked hopefully as he tried to see through the dust. Soma's hand reached out and grabbed Sol by the neck, choking him.

"Not bad…" Soma casually walked out of the rubble while still clutching Sol's neck in a fierce grip. "Fortunately, this is where our little feud ends. Soma slammed Sol into the white brick street and stomped on his chest, cracking Sol's ribs. Sol rolled onto his feet as he avoided Soma's follow up attack. Soma swung his sword and unleashed a white energy wave at Sol who responded with the same move and unleashed a black energy wave. The two attacks neutralized each other on contact. Sol then charged at Soma and swung his katana at his leg. Soma blocked the strike with his sword and punched Sol in the face. Soma then kicked Sol in the stomach and then elbowed him in his kidneys which forced Sol onto the ground. Soma kicked Sol onto his back and loomed over him.

"I've been looking forward to this." Soma raised his blade and turned it upside down. "Now die!" Soma plunged his claymore deep into Sol's stomach. Sol let out an agonized and almost demonic cry as the blade sunk deeper into his flesh. Soma continued to delve deeper and even twisted the blade for good measure. "Come on!" Soma gritted his teeth as the claymore completely ran Sol through and made contact with the ground. Eventually Sol passed out due to the intense pain. "What's the matter!" A twisted smile spread across Soma's face. "Hahaha!...Come on! I'm still not finished yet!" Soma yanked his claymore out of Soma's body and started stabbing him repeatedly. "Come on! Come on! Come on!" Soma eventually stopped and then stood over Sol's bloody body. "And now…" Soma raised his claymore into the air one last time with the intent to chop off Sol's head. "…you die!" Soma brought down his claymore with as much force as he could but stopped mid-swing. Soma's arm began trembling violently as another wave of pain shot through him. "Damn it…no!" Soma clutched his arm and curled up in order to cope with the pain. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Soma fell to his side as the pain continued to intensify.

Sol's eyes opened but were still yellow. "Now what?" Vice, now in complete control struggled to sit up. "Ow! Damn it, Sol, you idiot." Although the wounds were beginning to heal, Sol's body was far from fighting condition. Soma's agonized screams interrupted Vice's thoughts. "Oh? And what do we have here?" Vice looked over to Soma who was writhing on the ground a few feet away. "So it's finally started huh?"

Soma arched his back and raised his left arm into the air. It was no longer covered in the white armor of a holy knight but twisted by some kind of black aura that resembled a claw. One of Soma's eyes had changed from a dark red to a bright yellow.

**With Kai and Diana**

Diana fired arrow after arrow at Kai, emptying an entire clip on the far wall and several pillars. "Just stand still you…" Diana took cover behind another pillar and slid another clip of arrows into her crossbow. When she looked up she saw three arrows lined up horizontally and pointed directly at her. "Crap!" The arrows suddenly shot towards her head. Diana ducked just in time but lost a few strands of hair in the process. _"I forgot those things track their targets!"_ Diana mentally slapped herself before immediately returning fire as she rolled back into cover behind another pillar.

"Too late, I'm afraid." Kai grinned as he viewed his surroundings through his visor. When his eyes fell on Diana, a small glyph appeared to show that she was marked. "You've already been tagged." When Diana dove behind the pillar Kai shot three arrows to his right. They swerved around the pillar and flushed Diana out of cover once again. "That isn't going to work, y'know!" Kai taunted and shot three more arrows at Diana.

_"I can't use any of the fire or lightning arrows. The ice arrows would cause their own problems in such a cramped space."_ Diana emptied another clip to keep Kai at bay until she heard a familiar voice echo through the battle scarred chapel.

"GYAAAAAHHH!" Sol's scream pierced the air.

"Sol!" Diana yelled in concern.

"Sounds like the captain is enjoying himself." Kai said with a slightly exasperated tone. "Now if you'd just surrender…"

"Kai, Stop!" Sera, followed by Toran, stepped through the open hole in the wall. "We shouldn't be wasting time here! We need to get the captain!" As sera said this, Soma's scream was the next one to echo in their ears. "Captain?" Sera and the others turned over to where Soma and Sol were fighting. Sol, who was still possessed by vice, was standing up while Soma was writhing on the ground as the black substance began to spread.

"What the hell is happening!" Kai yelled. All four of them rushed to the aid of the leaders of each of their groups.

**With Shaosu and Nao**

Shaosu struggled to keep up with Nao was in a sudden hurry to get to the chapel. "just…wait a second." Shaosu was out of breath. "Why did Rischiev have to pick a house that was on the complete opposite side of town from the chapel?" Shaosu complained.

"You can stop if you want but I can't." Nao yelled back.

"If you could just explain what's going on…"

"Soma is in great danger! I can't explain exactly what's happening to him but I do know that he needs help!"

"The captain isn't someone who will go down that easily. Is it really that bad?" Shaosu asked. Nao simply glared at him which seemed to be enough of an answer as Shaosu didn't say anything as they continued to run towards the chapel.

**With Lydia and Diran**

Fists flew on top of a particular roof in Dunbarton between two elves. Lydia and Diran were constantly blocking and countering each other's moves to the point to where they almost looked like they were dancing. "You've definitely improved. I didn't think you'd be able to obtain the ancient power of our ancestors while we were so far from our homeland." Diran locked one of Lydia's arms around his and kneed her in the stomach several times. Finally he delivered one hard punch to her jaw which sent her flying backwards. "Come on, get up. You should at least be able to take a hit like that."

Lydia stood up and wiped a small trickle of blood that was trailing from her mouth. "I won't let you get away. Not after what you just did." Lydia's words were full of anger.

"What? No 'Give back the pass!' nonsense?" Diran mocked.

"It doesn't really matter if you give it back to me at this point or not. Like I said, I won't let you go after this no matter what. I want to take back the pass from you cold dead fingers." Lydia said. "So come on! Give it all you've got. I'll pay it back a hundred times more."

"A hundred times more?" Diran seemed momentarily perplexed. "Try not to get ahead of yourself, little girl. You may have the same power as I do but you don't have nearly the amount of experience I do." The air around Diran seemed to resonate as his power grew. Grey feathers began to sprout and tear out of Diran's robes. Before long, the robes that typically came with the falcon form were torn apart and fell to the ground in tattered pieces of fabric. The black pass fell to the ground with the pieces of the cloak. He retained his hood and his pants but his torso and arms were exposed.. His body was covered in grey feathers with some areas being more heavily covered than others. "I'll show you the true power of the Fury of Connous."

Diran was on Lydia in seconds. His punches were faster and stronger. It took all of Lydia's strength just to block the attacks, let alone counter them. "Damn. It. All!" For one split second, Lydia saw an opening in Diran's defense and that second was more than she needed. With one strong punch she drove her fist firmly into the center of Diran's face. Without hesitation, she punched him repeatedly to the point to where her gauntlets were starting to get dented. Finally, she delivered an uppercut straight to Diran's chin, knocking the warrior flat on his back.

Lydia cautiously approached Diran's body and attempted to reach for the black pass which was just underneath his arm. She stepped on Diran's wrist to prevent him from grabbing her leg as she pulled the black pass from underneath his elbow. "I wonder why he didn't just rip it?" Lydia stuffed the pass in her pocket and then focused back on Diran. "You deserve way worse than just a snapped neck, and I'd _love_ to take my time with this, but we're in a bit of a hurry." Lydia grabbed Diran by the throat and raised him up. "And so…" as Lydia tightened her grip, she was interrupted by Tanya being through the wall of the house he and Diran had been standing on.

The owners of the building looked on with a mixed expression of fear and surprise as Rudi stepped through the large hole he had made. Tanya struggled to get to her feet only to get savagely pushed down by Rudi who was not in complete control of his actions. Rudi snarled as he knelt down and began to repeatedly beat Tanya's face with his fists. The noise was enough to wake up Diran who quickly assessed the situation. Lydia turned her head in time to see Diran wake up and kick her in the face. Lydia staggered back as she released her grip. Diran then kicked her off the roof where she landed a few feet away from where Rudi was beating Tanya. Before she could get up, Diran leaped down from the roof and landed right on Lydia's chest, crushing her ribs. "Don't go anywhere…" Diran turned his attention towards Rudi.

Diran immediately leaped into the fray and attempted to kick Rudi upside the head. The savage giant anticipated it, however, and grabbed Diran by the ankle before he could make contact. Rudi swung Diran through the air like a rag doll before throwing him several blocks down the street. He then turned his attention back towards Tanya and grabbed her by the hair on her head. He punched her square in the face which tore off the hair he had grabbed and demolished the wall of another house. When it became clear that Tanya wouldn't be getting up any time soon, Rudi roared out in triumph at his fallen enemy. With his task done, Rudi sank to his knees as he reverted back to his regular form. Completely drained of energy, Rudi struggled to remain conscious as he surveyed his surroundings. "Did I…Lydia?" Rudi looked over at his injured comrade and attempted to walk towards her. However, he fell flat on his face as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Rudi…" Lydia stood up briefly before staggering back and leaning on a nearby street lamp. "You did good…big guy."

"Not good enough…" Diran, no longer in his Falcon transformation, staggered towards Lydia.

"You not exactly in fighting condition, you know." Lydia said.

"Speak…for yourself…" Diran collapsed onto one knee.

"Actually, I think my assessment was pretty spot on. You're done." Lydia grabbed Diran by the throat and started to squeeze as hard as she could. She was interrupted by Tanya who had managed to regain consciousness. "What the-gyaaah!" Tanya tore Lydia off her partner and flung her off to the side.

"We won't last much longer if we continue…" Tanya carried Diran on her shoulder. "They've won this one…" An inky black portal appeared in front of them as they stepped through. The portal then closed leaving Lydia with the black pass.

**With Soma and Sol**

"Captain!" Sera rushed to Soma's side as he writhed on the ground. She attempted to use a healing spell but had no effect. "What's happening to him? What did you do!" Sera glared at Sol whose body was still under Vice's control.

"It wasn't my doing…well, not directly, at least." Vice commented. "It's most likely his Fomor half starting to become more active."

"What do you mean, Fomor half? Captain Soma can't be one of the Fomors!" Kai yelled.

"It's a long story but the gist of it is that your captain is half fomor and for whatever reason, that side of himself is just now starting to tear its way out of his subconscious. Something similar happened with his sister, Luna which, unlike now, actually was caused by me." Vice grinned.

Diana slapped him across the face. "Do you think this is a joke you sick monster!" Diana was furious. "Instead of watching, why don't you try and cure him?"

"What's to cure?" Vice replied. "Ever since the war with the fomors, Soma's family has been blessed with the power of the goddess. However, where there is light, there must always be darkness to balance it out. Soma and his sister were both half fomor but that aspect of their heritage was always kept secret and the abilities it granted were sealed away." Vice walked over to Soma and grabbed his black arm. "This little outburst, here, is simply the result of what happens when the seal on a living being begins to wear off. After the death of his father, the seal slowly began to weaken. Now, bits and pieces of Soma's inner fomor are beginning to poor out and conflict with the power of the goddess that was given to him."

"But Sol said it was Luna who inherited Morrighan's power." Toran said.

Vice dropped Soma's arm. "True, and that power was returned to Morrighan the second she died. The power I'm talking about is the power of the paladins. It conflicts with his nature as half fomor as a paladin must be completely pure. Until a clear victor is decided, Soma's inner struggle will continue."

"What will happen to him?" Sera asked.

"One of three things will occur. His light half will win and remain as a human and a paladin. His fomor half could win and he would pretty much become a dark knight. Or….How do I put this…His conflicting sides will eventually cancel each other out. That would either kill him or wipe him out of existence completely, soul and all." Vice stated calmly.

Sera's eyes widened in horror. "Captain! Please, you have to get a hold of yourself!" Sera leaned in closer but was forced to move back as Soma continued to thrash around. "_What do I do? What the hell do I do!"_ Sera looked around frantically for some kind of clue, any kind of clue to help Soma. He eyes eventually settled back on Vice. "You…"

"What?" Vice smirked.

"You're a Fomor. Can't you do something to fix this!" Sera yelled.

"What makes you think _I_ can do anything?" Vice smirked as he said this.

"Don't play dumb, Vice." Nao's voice chimed in from out of nowhere.

"Holy crap! What happened to the captain!" Shaosu and Nao had just arrived. Shaosu knelt down and saw the black substance slowly spreading across Soma's body.

"Don't get too close." Nao said as she too knelt down to examine Soma's arm. "I see… It's already this far along." Nao continued to examine him for a little longer before turning towards Vice. "Give me your hand." Nao's voice was calm but firm.

"Why should I? You're the guardian spirit of the soul stream. Surely, you wouldn't need help from the likes of me." Vice continued to mock her.

"True, I have enough raw power to seal it, but I'll need a bit of Fomor energy if I want to keep it stable."

"Fair enough, but I don't see a reason as to why I should help you." Vice said. Immediately after finishing that sentence, he felt the tip of Sera's spear touching his throat. The look in Sera's eyes was venomous. A loud "Ka-chick" sound was heard as Diana pointed her crossbow at Vice's head. "Come now…do you really think that's wise?" Vice was speaking specifically to Diana.

"I think Sol would want us to do something like this if you ever refused to cooperate. He might not be completely conscious right now, but I know he would want to help Soma if he could." Diana pressed her crossbow against Vice's head to emphasize her point.

"You take out my head then you take out Sol as well. Do you think you could really do that to someone you care for?" Diana remained silent. "That's what I-"

"She might not be willing to hurt you, but _I_ will." Sera pressed her spear further against Vice's neck, a small trickle of blood trailing down.

Vice considered his options, rolled his eyes and wordlessly offered his hand to Nao.

"Don't worry, I won't take too much." Nao grasped Vice's hand. "Hold him down."

Sera, Diana, Shaosu, and Toran each held down one of Soma's limbs as he thrashed around. Nao placed her hand on his forehead as a fairly bright aura surrounded her and vice. Soma's convulsions quickly died down as his pained expression turned more serene. His breathing relaxed as the black substance slowly began to fade away. Vice grimaced. While not exactly painful, the process was becoming increasingly uncomfortable for him as he felt his energy begin to drain.

"Just a little more…" Nao closed her eyes. _"Sol, if you have anything you wish to say to Soma, now is the time."_ Nao spoke to Sol, mentally.

_"Yeah, our minds are pretty much linked at this point so if you want to play the part of a mental messenger boy, here's your shot. For some reason, it leaves a bigger impact on someone when you give them a message from inside their own head."_ Vice chimed in. Nao sent a small surge of energy into Vice's arm, causing a brief spike of pain. _"Gah! Watch it!"_

_"This isn't the time for jokes!"_ Nao scolded.

**Within both Sol's and Soma's minds**

Sol awoke on his back, staring at a wooden ceiling. An intense heat washed over him as soon as he came to his senses. "What the…?" As he stood up, Sol realized that the hallway he was standing in looked incredibly familiar, almost nostalgic. "I this…" Sol's heart leaped into his throat once he realized where he was. He was at the Manor. As if that wasn't enough, it was on the night that his life came crashing down around him. "If I'm supposed to talk to Soma, why am I…Oh no." Immediately, Sol started running down the hall, searching for a Luna's room. The blurry apparitions of his former comrades passed right through him as he ran through the burning halls. Eventually, he stopped at the door he was looking for. He hear the muffled voices of Luna and himself and knew what was about to come. Sol opened the door in time to see himself run Luna through with his blade. Sol winced and took a half step back at the sight. He watched as his past apparition slowly turned to face him, a cold and emotionless look plastered on his face. "This must be the part where…"

"…I walked in, Right?" Soma appeared behind Sol out of nowhere. As Sol turned around, Soma grabbed him by the throat and squeezed as hard as he could.

"Yup…you're the real one." Sol gasped as he clutched Soma's arm. The burning room as well as the rest of the manor faded away until it was just Soma and Sol standing within an endless black abyss. Sol continued to glare into each other's eyes before Soma finally relented and released Sol from his grip. "Agh…you've got an arm, I've gotta say." Sol rubbed his now reddening neck.

"I doubt I'd be able to kill you in this mental prison, anyway." Soma turned away from Sol and surveyed his surroundings (or lack thereof). "So…what did you bring me here for?"

"I guess…I guess it's to explain things. Get the story straight and all that." Sol said.

"Really? What about the 'you wouldn't understand' nonsense." Soma snapped.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Sol asked.

Soma thought for a moment, took one last look around and sat down, cross legged.

"Okay then…" Sol sat down in a similar fashion across from Soma and began to recount the reason for Luna's murder. He told him about the amulet, about Vice, and about the Promise he made with Luna to never tell Soma about his true heritage.

An awkward silence followed for several minutes. Soma seemed almost nonresponsive to any part of the story that Sol just told him. Without warning, he stood up. Sol followed suit. They looked in each other's eyes with Sol nodding in a strange sense of understanding. Soma nodded back and punched Sol square in the nose, causing him to stagger. Not missing a beat, Soma punched Sol again in the stomach, then the ribs, then the face again, and finally finishing with an uppercut which finally knocked Sol down.

"_If we were in the real world, I'd be in a hospital bed by now."_ Sol looked up at Soma who surprisingly extended his hand out to help him up. Sol took it and grinned. However, almost immediately as Sol was on his feet, Soma once again, punched him square on the nose.

**Real world**

"That should do it." Nao said, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "He should be stable for now." Without warning, Vice soon fell unconscious as well.

"What's wrong with him?" Diana asked as she knelt down.

"Vice must've receded back into Sol's mind. Sol and Soma are mentally and spiritually connected right now, so they won't wake up until one or both of them decide to stop talking to the other." Nao explained.

"So, what do we do?" Sera asked.

"Nothing, until they wake up. We should take them to Manus, he should have a few spare beds, correct?" Nao said.

"We'll also need someone to recover her body. Kristell's, I mean." Toran said, somberly. Sera, Diana, and Kai both looked down out of guilt.

"Wait…Kristell? She's dead!" Shaosu yelled in surprise and anger.

"So that's what I sensed…" Nao's voice quivered in sadness.

"What the hell did you do!" He grabbed Toran by the collar.

"Back off! What reason could _we_ have for wanting to kill a priestess of a small chapel?" Diana shoved Shaosu away. "It was the dark knights! If there's anyone you should be mad at, it's them!"

Shaosu gritted his teeth but managed to calm himself down. "I'll…I'll get the message back to HQ. I'll be back with help for clean up." Shaosu turned to Nao. "I assume you need to watch over the captain and Sol?"

Nao nodded.

"All right, be careful." Shaosu darted off to HQ.

Not long after, another messenger arrived and spoke to Sera. "Lieutenant…My…my squad apprehended a pair of suspicious individuals. They're description matches those of the wanted posters. My men currently have them in custody."

"Good work but…" Sera glanced at Diana and Toran, and then over to Nao. "…take them to Manus' clinic. We'll interrogate them there. Also, send a few men with stretchers over to us. We have a few of our own to transport." The messenger saw Soma and Sol on the ground and nodded. He ran off back to his squad. "Now, we play the waiting game."

**Within Sol and Soma's head**

Sol took a deep breath as the last hit finally struck him. Although the bruises were not visible, the pain definitely felt real. "Are you done for real this time?" Sol looked over and saw Soma pacing back and forth. His icy demeanor was gone as a whirlwind of emotions painted themselves on his face. Anger, frustration, guilt, and stress were only a few that were present.

"Do you know what it feels like?" Soma asked his words full of venom. "Do you know what it feels like to find out that your entire career, you life's work, amounts to little more than some kind of cruel joke." Soma glared at Sol "Why the HELL didn't you tell me about this? Instead of leaving me on the bed of Agnes's clinic, why didn't you just tell me from the beginning what was happening? We could have avoided all of this. I wouldn't have had to waste over a decade of my life chasing after you!" Soma yelled.

"It wasn't a waste. Look at you! You're a captain in the paladin order! You're a prodigy!"

"All that I did was to hunt you down! I was chasing a phantom, a villain that didn't even exist!" Soma stepped closer to Sol. "Why! Why didn't you tell me the truth!"

Sol looked down, then back at Soma. "I could say…it was to keep my promise to Luna. But I think…I think I just wanted some kind of punishment. I killed the one person I loved in this world. I wanted someone, anyone, to punish me."

"So that's it? I was just a tool to make yourself feel better?"

"As much as it pains me to say it, yes." Sol was punched again. "But…We can still set things right!"

"How! How could you possible set this right!"

"Have you heard of Glas Ghaibhleann?"

"Of course, anyone who paid attention in history class would know about that abomination."

"The Dark Knights are reconstructing it. They've sealed the Goddess away and are planning to use Glas Ghaibhleann to raise Erin to the ground. I've been running up and down this damn country trying to find a way to release her."

"Let me guess, you actually found one."

"Yes, we have to go to Tir Na Nogg."

"That old fairy tale? You've got to be kidding me."

"Kristell, the priestess, she used to be a fomor but she decided to help us. She gave us a special seal to use on one of the goddess statues. The portal it creates would allow us to travel to Tir Na Nogg. We can finally take this battle to Cichol's front door."

Soma thought for a moment. "How do you know this isn't some kind of trap?"

"I don't see that many other options on our plate." Sol looked Soma dead in the eyes. "Soma, you said that you're life lacked a purpose. Well how's this for one: Erin is in danger and the goddess you've sworn to serve is bound in chains. Would Luna want us to just stand by and let it happen?"

"How dare you use her name!"

"Not the point, man! Soma, you know I'm telling the truth. Even if my group went in alone, I don't think we'd be able to stop Cichol's plans. We need your help…_I_ need your help." Sol extended his hand, a pleading look on his face.

**Real world, Manus' clinic**

Sera, Kai, Shaosu, Nao, Diana, and Toran sat around a Table, occasionally glancing at Soma and Sol who were both unconscious. Lydia was also sleeping in an adjacent bed while Rudi was forced to sleep on several stuffed mats since they didn't have any beds to match his size. He didn't seem to mind it, though. Manus had just finished pouring the tea when both Sol and Somas slowly began to awaken.

"They're awake! Guys, they're awake!" Kai yelled. Immediately, everyone ran over to their leader's bedside. It was Soma who managed to pull himself completely out of bed first.

"Captain!" Sera was ecstatic. "Are you alright? How's your arm?"

"Where..where are we?" Soma asked.

"At the clinic, you've been out for about a day." Kai responded.

Soma looked to his right and saw Sol exchanging greetings with Diana and Toran, with Diana looking about as happy as Sera was. Sol looked over at Soma and nodded.

Soma looked over at Sera and saw that she was actually starting tear up. "I…uh…"

"I'm just…so glad…" Sera clasped Soma's hand.

Soma coughed and scratched the back of his head, awkwardly. "I'm…I'm sorry I worried you." He said, lightly blushing.

"So what happened? You guys have any interesting dreams?" Kai joked.

"Something like that. I think we may have a way to take this battle directly to the enemy. We'll have revenge for what happened at Emain Macha." Soma grinned at Sol who responded in kind. They're friends looked on in confusion.

**To Be Continued…**

And that was chapter 19! Normally, I try to get in at least 20 pages worth of story into this but I think for now, I'll settle for smaller chapters. Also, to any Kristell fans out there, I'm sorry I killed her off, but it never really made sense to me how Cichol would allow one of his old henchmen to just help out the player like she does in the actual game. Anyway, see you next time!


	20. Chapter 20

And now we enter into chapter 20. I'm just going to tell you guys right off the bat, there isn't any real action in this chapter for the most part. This is going to be the "calm before the storm" kind of chapter. The characters didn't get a lot of moments to actually just talk with each other so I'm doing it now while I still have the chance.

I wanted to spread these moments out over several chapters instead of doing them all at once but that's what happens when you don't plan ahead.

**Mabinogi: Setting Sun**

**Chapter 20: Preparation I**

_ A rancid stench rose, thickly, into the air as a foul warning to those who were nearing the freshly scarred battlefield. Here, the elves and the giants had one of many brutal confrontations due to their inability to coexist. The bloody corpses stared blankly into the sky as the crows and vultures circled over head, searching for a proper meal. Amongst the sea of dead were two lone warriors, one giant and one elf. The last combatants of either side of the recent battle, they had fought each other into exhaustion with no clear winner in sight._

_ "What's your name?" the elf asks._

_ "Tanya…" the giantess replies._

_ "Diran…" He grins as he sits down, relaxing for the first time since the battle's start. After days of fighting, Diran finally let his guard down. Tanya refused to do the same. "I've decided to end it…Finish me if you wish…"_

_ Tanya attempted to lift her axe, and almost succeeded, but she ended up dropping it and fell face first into the ground._

_ "Pfffahahaha! That was probably the most pathetic thing I've ever seen…well…maybe the second most pathetic…" Diran said as he looked around. The bodies of both giants and elves stacked atop one another. A pointless battle followed by pointless deaths for an unclear objective. If there was a legitimate reason for the Elves and Giants to slaughter each other in such a way, Diran had long forgotten it. _

_ Tanya grunted as she tried to stand up. In the end, all she could manage was to turn her head to face Diran. "Can I ask you something?" _

_ "What?" Diran leaned in._

_ "Do you…Do you remember any of your comrades names?" Tanya asked._

_ Diran thought for several minutes. He looked around and tried to pick out the people he recognized. He (vaguely) remembered their faces but the names eluded him. He began to realize that he didn't even remember the names of his superior officers, the one who led them into battle to begin with._

_ "That man…the one behind you…" Tanya gestured to the corpse behind where Diran was sitting. He was large, even for a giant. He had brown hair and wore a suit of steel plated armor. In his right hand, he held an axe with intricate carvings. "He… saved me…multiple times, he saved my life during this battle. And yet, I never had the chance to properly introduce myself. Not only that but…I think I knew him from…from when I was a child…I think…he was a classmate of mine…what was his name?" Tanya clenched her fist in frustration._

_ "Who cares?" Diran said. "Is a name really that important? What about rank? What about social status? What about species?"Diran stood up and walked over to Tanya who was still struggling to sit up. "These things do not define who we are. Our actions do. Forget his name, don't bother with his face, if you truly want to remember him, remember what he __did__. We are nothing but the sum of our actions and our choices." Diran cracked his knuckles. "With that in mind…what will you do, Miss Tanya?" Diran extended his hand to her. "What will __we__ do?" Without saying a word, Tanya looked Diran straight in the eyes. Neither of them said a word. Perhaps nothing needed to be said at all. Ignoring his hand, Tanya stood up and slung her axe across her back. As the two of them began to walk, she stopped at the corpse of her unnamed comrade. Taking one last moment of silence, she took his axe and slung it across her back as well. _

_ "You sure you can wield both of those things effectively?" Diran asked._

_ "I'll manage." Tanya replied. The two of them walked onward, leaving the bloody battlefield behind them._

**Present Time, Unknown Location**

Diran stared at the ceiling as he lay in his bed, an annoyed expression on his face. _"I can punch mountains into piles of rubble but I couldn't tear that one sheet of paper…damn magic seals. Still, I've gotta hand it to her. If there's one thing Kristell learned from me, it's to be thorough in your preparations."_ For the briefest instant, Diran felt a small pang of sadness at the death of his former subordinate before pushing it into the furthest corner of his mind. He looked over to his left and saw Tanya doing some thinking of her own. "And what's up with you?"

"Just…reminiscing. Anyway, what's our next move?" Tanya asked.

"Well, obviously, our first order of business is to let our wounds heal, but afterwards we should…who's there?" Diran called out towards the door.

"Patience, Diran, patience. I was just about to walk in." Adrian stepped through the door, a sly grin plastered on his face, with Mai following close behind him.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to recover here?" Diran said, sarcastically.

"I'm just here to see a man who blundered, hilariously, in their recent mission." Adrian mocked.

"So says the one who was the first of us to get captured. If you were truly loyal, you should've killed yourself before you were taken hostage. By the way, why are you even here? I'd have thought Morgant would've cut you down where you stood for screwing up like you did." Diran retorted.

"Our primary goal was to cripple the paladin command structure and destroy the city. Although the paladins recovered faster than we expected, both goals were still met and, since I didn't reveal anything important in my time in captivity, our masters have seen fit to pardon my failure." Adrian explained.

"Heh…well if you're getting a pardon then I may as well receive a full on promotion for what I just went through." Diran scoffed.

"Not quite." Adrian cleared his throat. "While it was a harrowing battle, our attack on Emain Macha was a rather minor operation in the grand scheme of things."

"Minor? How so?"

"My friend, our road to victory was paved right from day one. The assault on the city was a way to…clear out a few of the larger stones that still remained on the path. It really made no difference when the paladins were wiped out, they would've all been reduced to ash once we unleashed Glas Ghaibhleann." Adrian grabbed a stool and sat down next to Diran's bed. "You, however, have a special case. By loosing that black pass, you've effectively given our enemies a clear shot at our front gates. It's only a matter of time before they're knocking on our door."

"Please…the paladins may have reorganized themselves but it's not like they have the resources to stage an attack. They'll never have enough men to challenge us."

"It's not the paladins I'm concerned about." Adrian said.

**Paladin HQ, Dunbarton**

A metallic slam rang though the detention block as Captain Mason got everyone settled in. "Oh come on! Is this really necessary?" Sol asked as he ran up to the bars. "I mean, we just finalized our alliance."

"It's the best we could do on such short notice." Marina said.

"But why lock us up?" Toran asked.

"Even though we've agreed to work together all five of you are still guilty of several crimes against our organization including but not limited to: assault of an officer, evading arrest as well as destruction of both private and public property." Marina shrugged. "Besides, you're not 'locked up' you can leave whenever you want. Just try not to break anything like you usually do when we get involved."

"It's partly your fault stuff gets destroyed anyway." Sol mumbled.

"Oh quit your whining!" Elleina screamed as she materialized out of Marina's sword. "You're lucky we don't put you in chains!"

"Piss off poltergeist!" Sol yelled.

"Stupid Meathead!" Elleina yelled back.

"Captain Mason!" A random messenger opened the door. "The commander has called a meeting for all remaining captains!"

"Thank you, God!" Marina rushed out of the prison block, eager to end this pointless argument. "Oh wait, before I forget. You're cells aren't locked so you can walk around freely, just make sure you check with someone when you decide to leave HQ." With that Marina shut the door behind her.

**Paladin HQ meeting room**

All 5 paladin leaders: Craig, River, Soma, Marina, and Gillian were gathered around a table to discuss the recent turn of events. A tense atmosphere filled the room as they all contemplated what to say as well as how to react.

"I think the first order of business should be with Soma's fomor blood." River finally broke the silence. "Captain Soma, you've said that you've been feeling violent jolts of pain in your arm for the past several weeks yes?"

"Yes."

"And you have had no prior knowledge of you heritage until this recent outburst?" Soma nodded again as River quietly considered the information. "In that case, I believe that Captain Soma should be exempt from any future operations."

"What? Why?" Soma yelled.

"Because we don't know when you'll have another outburst like the one you just had yesterday." River replied.

"With all due respect, I've held it in check pretty well up till now." Soma protested.

"Barely. If nao and Sol weren't there to calm you down, I shudder to think what kind of damage you might've caused. In fact, I shudder to think what kind of damage you _will _cause if we were to approach this carelessly."

"I agree that some precautions should be taken but to remove him from duty is a bit far don't you think?" Gillian spoke up this time.

"At this point, no. We can't be too cautious in the situation we're in right now. If we plan to attack the black knights then we need to-"

"Attack? What do you mean attack?" Craig yelled in surprise.

"We have the key to the very heart of their fortress. If we strike hard and fast we may just-"

"No" Craig cut off River before he could finish. "I don't know if you've noticed but the paladins aren't in any sort of state to stage an assault. We're stable as a whole but our numbers have been severely reduced. If we were to attack right now, we'd be sending our people into a massacre!"

"That's why I'm not suggesting we send in everyone. A small task force could, in theory, infiltrate their main base and put a stop to their plans." River said.

"And who would you suggest we send in?" Craig scoffed at the idea.

"Me…and a handpicked squad from my unit." River said.

Silence filled the room.

"No." It was Nao's voice this time. All five of them turned towards the door and saw her with a determined look on her face. "It is not your role to end this."

"How long have you been listening?" Marina asked.

"Long enough to know you're making a mistake."

"This started with Sol and Soma and it should…no it must be them that will end it." Nao's voice held a firm tone that she rarely ever used.

Craig considered her words before finally speaking. "We're all still a little shaken up by recent events. We have a lot to consider so I will adjourn this meeting for now. We will pick this up again later today. Dismissed!" With that, all 6 left the meeting room.

**Not long after…**

After the meeting was closed and the captains scattered to tend to their duties, Soma tracked River down in the hallway, a look of irritation on his face.

"Looks Like you lost your shot at glory." Soma said, bitterly, to River.

"Let's get a few things straight, captain." River said with a twinge of annoyance. "While you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, I know you aren't the kind of person who would betray the paladins or at the very least intentionally hurt anyone without reason. Your fomor abilities are still too unstable and unpredictable to allow you into active duty, especially in an operation so close to Cichol's main base. Who knows what your fomor powers could do that close to the god of all fomors considering the influence he has." River explained himself.

Soma looked away. "Guess I can't exactly disagree with you…" Soma then looked River in the eyes. "But don't insult me by thinking that I'm weak enough to let this…this _thing_ affect me. I've crushed every demon that's crossed my path and this will be no different." Soma gestured to his arm as he said this. With nothing else to say, he turned to leave. "Oh, and If you still plan on making a direct assault, don't forget to include me." Soma yelled over his shoulder. River concealed an amused grin as he and Soma parted ways.

**Dunbarton Streets**

Sol, Diana, Toran, Rudi, and Lydia were walking through Dunbarton's shopping district, occasionally stopping to check out different stands. "I don't get it…" Sol muttered under his breath, drawing the attention of the group. "We have the key. We have the manpower. We have the equipment. Why not just open the gate and storm Cichols' fortress?" Sol asked, frustrated.

"They probably just want to plan a proper strategy before rushing off into enemy territory." Toran replied.

"I don't know, I'm with Sol on this one. We have no idea what the fortress actually looks like or if it's even a fortress at all. We don't even know what the terrain is like. The only way for us to find out is if we send scouts in to investigate." Lydia said.

"I suppose, but they probably don't want to send any of their men to their deaths if the area turns out to be dangerous. They already took a huge blow after Emain Macha." Diana said, turning away from the stall they were looking at.

"But they don't have to send their own men. Just send _us_ and we'll take care of it for them. It's simple!" Sol said in an exasperated tone.

"Do you really think we can do it? Take on Cichol on our own?" Diana asked.

"Well…Yeah, of course!" Sol's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

"Sol, we're going up against a god, on his home turf no less. We need to plan ahead in case something happens." Diana placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get our chance."

The group stood in silence before Lydia spoke up. "Anyway, how about lunch? A few of the refugees from Emain macha were apparently master chefs and I've been interested in trying their food."

"Sounds good to me!" Toran grinned. "Sol?" Toran looked over.

Sol sighed and grinned back. "Yeah, I'm tired of walking around anyway."

**Lakeside Delicacies**

The group stood at the entrance to a fairly large restaurant. Despite being a relatively new establishment, the place was already crammed with people, most of them knights. They waited for about 30 minutes before a large enough table was free. A sign on the way in read "Special Discount, Knights get 30% off."

"I knew this place was supposed to be popular but this is ridiculous." Lydia whistled at the number of people laughing and talking.

"This better be good, then." Sol said as he examined the menu. Before he could get too far, he was interrupted by the upbeat voice of a young girl.

"Hi! Welcome to Lakeside Delicacies! I'm Shena and I'll be your waiter!" As the group finished ordering, Sol heard another, more familiar voice through the crowd.

"So why is it still called "lakeside Delicacies" if they aren't even near a lake?" Shaosu asked.

"I heard it was in honor of their original restaurant. Even though it was destroyed, they didn't want to change the name." Nao replied.

"He guys, look!" Sol gestured over to Shaosu and saw him sitting with Nao, Kai, and Sera. Another man he didn't recognize was also sitting next to Shaosu with a dog sleeping at the foot of the chair. "Hey! Over here!" Sol yelled, waving his hand. Shaosu and the others turned their heads to see Sol and the others calling to them. None of them were sure how to respond.

**A few minutes later**

The two groups merged their tables together and started talking, most the time it was about the attack on Emain Macha. "I've gotta say…" Rischiev hiccupped in between his words. "If shaosu was able to subdue me that quickly then either I'm losing my touch or you, my boy, have been doing some extra practicing behind my back…"

"You were under someone's spell, Rischiev…I'm sure if you were in full control you would've lasted a bit longer…but not much." Shaosu grinned.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" Rischiev grinned back.

"You've got guts, kid. It's hard when you're forced to hurt those closest to you in order to protect them." Sol said.

"I guess you would know all about hurting people close to you now wouldn't you?" Shaosu replied somewhat coldly. The mood in the air seemed to darken as he said this.

"Hey…" Rischiev said.

"So where's your captain?" Diana asked trying to change the subject.

"He's at an important meeting. He couldn't join us…" Sera responded in a rather despondent tone.

"Yeah, Sera was about to ask Captain Soma out on a date. Just when she finally worked up the nerve, he brushes her off to talk with the other captains." Kai explained.

"It wasn't a date! I-I just wanted to have lunch with him as colleagues…" Sera said, poorly hiding her blush.

"Oh, so that's what's going on between you two." Lydia said, slyly.

"No! Nothing's going on!" Sera insisted, her face getting even redder.

"I'm surprised Soma hasn't picked up on it by now. You don't exactly hide it very well." Kai said, teasingly.

"Not me. Soma always has been pretty dense. He's not exactly keen on picking up these kinds of signals from people." Sol commented.

"He's not the only one…" Diana said, pouting slightly.

"Sol I don't want to hear that when you haven't even noticed Diana's feelings." Toran said, sipping some tea.

"TORAN!" Diana slapped him in the back of the head for saying it out loud.

"It's not like I don't know…it's just that we never get the chance to address it." Sol said.

"Wait…you know!?" Diana rushed over to Sol and stared him in the eyes.

"Well…yeah."

"How Long?"

"Since that fight in barri dungeon…Like I said, we've been on the move so much lately that I haven't been able to talk to you about it." Sol said, looking away.

"It's not like it would've taken that long! We could've worked this out a long time ago!" Diana yelled.

"Well…do you want to talk about it now?" Sol asked.

"Huh? You mean…here? In front of everyone?" Diana blushed.

"come on!" Richiev slung his arms around both of them, interrupting their moment, his breath thick with alcohol. "Just say the three magic words already!"

"Get off me!" Diana shoved him off, her face redder than Sera's at this point.

As everyone started laughing, Shaosu simply sighed and got up.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked.

"I'm not hungry…" Shaosu said as he left. He quickly glanced at Sol before slamming the restaurant doors shut.

"Shaosu…" Nao looked at him with concern and stood up. "I'm going after him." She said as she took off too.

"Hey! The food hasn't even gotten here yet!" Kai called out. But it was too late. The two of them were already long gone.

"Did…did we do something?" Sol asked.

"Well…Kind of." Kai said, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, honestly, not everyone in the paladins agrees with allowing you to join forces with us. I mean, to be fair, you have put several of our guys in the hospital."

"There are some who've died while fighting against you as well." Sera added.

"Yeah…I guess that's another thing we haven't had the chance to talk about…" Sol and the others looked down in guilt.

"Personally, I think that death or serious injury is just another aspect about our job but…well once this business with the dark knights is finished, well…I don't know if they'll actually punish you but…don't be surprised if something comes up." Kai shrugged.

"Actually, with Shaosu's case, I think this may be a bit more personal. I mean, he _does_ hold you accountable for his brother's death." Sera interjected.

"Who's his brother?" Sol asked.

"What was his name? I think it was…Ceez?" Kai said.

Sol's eyes widened at this revelation and he quickly looked back in the direction Shaosu had left, as if searching for him.

**With Shaosu and Nao**

"Shaosu!" Nao called out as she searched for him in the crowd. She managed to keep pace with him until just a few minutes ago. Her search soon brought her into one of the local parks. Eventually, she found Shaosu sitting on a bench staring into space. She sat next to him and snapped her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his trance and drawing his attention toward her. "Why did you suddenly take off like that?" She asked.

Shaosu sighed and leaned forward a bit in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. "I know the reason we're teaming up now is to stop the black knights. I understand that part but…I just get mad when I look at him." Shaosu said.

"Is it about your brother?" Nao asked.

"That's part of it but…" Shaosu thought for a moment, trying to find the right word. "Right now I'm just angry. I'm angry that Sol never bothered to tell us the truth. I'm angry that we lost an entire city. And I'm angry that…Even if we somehow win this battle…we might still lose in the long run." Shaosu clenched his fists.

"What do you mean?" Nao asked.

"The paladins are weak now, and I don't just mean in numbers. If we were to launch a full scale counterattack and manage to win…we're going to lose a lot of people in the process. We might just wipe ourselves out." Shoasu grimaced at the thought.

Nao placed a hand on Shaosu's fist and another on his shoulder. "It's alright. I know you will pull through this just like all the other times. Even if you can't get up on your own, I'll be there to help you. Always." Nao squeezed his hand and smilled.

Shaosu smiled back. "Thanks…I think I needed that."

**River squad barracks**

River sat at his desk quickly signing various documents that Sai had recently placed on his desk. The Lieutenant simply stood in front of his captains desk as he continued his work, seemingly deep in thought. Without looking up, River finally spoke, "Was there something more, Sai?"

"Yes sir…" Sai straightened up his stance as he looked up to face his captain. "Sir, are you really planning on using the black pass against orders?" Sai asked.

"You should already know that the answer is yes." River stated, calmly. "I will lead a small strike team into the heart of the enemy's fortress and crush them before they have the chance to retaliate."

"Then I request to be a part of the strike team." Sai thought back to Mai as well as Adrian. "Please…sir."

"We've been over this. I need you her in case the mission goes south."

"I know but-"

"If you know then there is nothing left to discuss."

"It's my sister!" Sai yelled out. River stopped writing on the last document and looked up at his subordinate. Sai's eyes were burning with anger. "That…monster is using my sister like a puppet. I _need_ to see him die." Sai clenched his fist. "I propose we trade places. Send my in instead while you handle things here."

"Hm…" River relaxed in his seat as he observed Sai. A small chuckle escaped his lips before speaking. "You know, Sai, I find it hard to tell if you respect or loathe me at times."

"To be quite frank, sir, you could stand to be a little less…haughty…than you usually are." Sai replied.

"Well that was a bit forward. Tell me, why the sudden nerve?" River rested his chin on his hand.

"Aside from my sister…can't you feel it sir? Things are about to reach a head. I just have this feeling that these will be the last few days before we are finally forced to make a move."

"True…If we want to succeed, we must take action." River quickly signed the last paper and stood up. "Very well…You can have command of the task force. Take as much time as you need to prepare and choose your men carefully."

"Yes sir!" Sai grinned with determination.

**With Sol's group**

After the meal, Sol and the others soon broke off from Kai, Sera, and Rischiev, eventually deciding to return to the cell block they were supposed to stay in.

"Anyone else find it extremely depressing that all we have to look forward to is a dank prison cell?" Lydia said with her shoulders slumped. Everyone else sighed in agreement.

Diana was lagging behind the group, lost in thought. "Hey guys…" Diana said. "Could you…go on ahead? I want to discuss something with Sol."

"You don't have to be so vague, we all know what you're going to talk about." Lydia said with a sly grin.

"Then humor me, would you?" Diana said. Lydia, Rudi, and Toran nodded and proceeded back to HQ. Sol and Diana then walked into a nearby alley to get a little more privacy.

Sol was leaning on looking off to the side while Diana stood in front of him staring at the ground, both of them wondering where to start. "Why…" Sol began. "Why are you interested in someone like me?"

Diana continued to think for another minute before finally speaking. "Do you remember when I told you about what happened to my family?"

"About the slavers who destroyed your village?" Sol said.

Diana nodded. "After both my parents died, being alone in that place…I've blocked out most of it but I still get chills from time to time. When Tara and her group destroyed their base and took me in, they helped me move on from all the pain I experienced. They became my new family. And when they were killed in the goblin attack, you, Toran, Lydia, and Rudi all managed to keep me from falling into the same despair I had when I lost my first family. For that, I will always be grateful." Diana smiled serenely.

"Diana…" Sol wasn't sure what to say.

"And when you told us of your past, Sol. When you lost everyone you ever cared about and when you mentioned Luna…" Diana looked into Sol's eyes.

"You saw a kindred spirit in me?" Sol said.

"It's more than that. I want to save you. I want to release you from whatever darkness that still binds you to this battle we've been fighting. I want to save you…the way you saved me…" Diana touched Sol's cheek, stroking it softly.

Sol took Diana's hand and clasped it in both of his. "When I said…we never had a chance to talk about our relationship. The truth of the matter is, I didn't really want to talk about it. Even though I know she is dead, I still can't get Luna out of my mind. When I close my eyes to think, I can still see her, smiling like nothing is wrong." Sol tightened his grip on Diana's hands. "I thought that I couldn't ever devote myself to someone else as long as she was still in my head. A part of me…doesn't even want to move on or to let go."

Diana looked down and dropped her hand from Sol's grasp. "I…I see. I guess I should have known this was pointless." As Diana turned to leave, Sol stopped her.

"You didn't let me finish." Sol took a deep breath. "Diana I…I feel the same way you do. I…love you." Diana turned to face him again. "I just want to know that….do you still want me even knowing that a part of me will never be able to let Luna go."

Diana sighed, and smiled. "We can never forget the people we lose, Sol. I'm not asking you to get rid of Luna's place in your heart. I'm asking if you'll give me a place as well." Sol and Diana looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Sol stepped forward as she did the same. Slowly, he planted his lips onto hers. She closed her eyes as they embraced each other tightly, forgetting the world around them.

**Training grounds**

It was well into the afternoon, the sky turning purple at the edges as time went on. Soma wiped the sweat from his brow as the recruit he was fighting staggered out of the practice arena. He took a quick look around himself and saw several other paladins eyeing him suspiciously. It wasn't surprising, considering it was revealed he was half fomor. "_But still…"_ Soma thought. "_They could stand to be a bit more discreet."_ Soma cracked his shoulders before calling out for the next opponent.

A few feet away at the archery range, Sera observed Soma from a distance with Kai practicing next to her. As soma knocked the next soldier to the ground, she reminisced about how she first met him in a practice match. The sound of three arrows striking the target in rapid succession drew Sera's attention. "Damn it!" Kai muttered in frustration.

Sera took looked at the bull's eye and saw that two of the three had hit their mark. "You only lost one." Sera said.

"No, I lost two." Kai saw that Sera was confused and began to elaborate. "You see how there are multiple rings surrounding the center? I'm trying to space the arrows exactly one ring apart. Two landed too close to each other." Sera sighed and soon focused her attention in the practice arena. "If you want to join them, you can. It's not like I'm saying much." Kai said as he retrieved his arrows.

"I…don't want to be near him right now." Sera turned her back to the arena and leaned on the fence, facing Kai.

"Are you still mad about him rejecting you earlier? I'm sure you'll get through to him eventually." Kai said, reassuringly.

"No. I won't." Sera said, smiling sadly. "Soma isn't dense, at least not as dense as Sol seems to think he is. He knows how I feel but he simply isn't interested." Kai could see the pain in her eyes. "I'll always be a loved one but never a lover." Sera looked wistfully at the sky, the edges beginning to turn orange as the sun drifted behind the mountains.

"I don't think you really believe that." Kai said in a casual tone. "I can tell you still hold hope. You hope with all your heart that he'll come around." Kai said.

"And you think he will?" Sera chuckled.

"Yes." Kai grinned at her. "You don't see what I'm getting at, do you? The captain has always had a one-track mind." They both looked at Soma as he finally stepped out of the ring, a towel hanging from his neck. "Killing Sol has been his life's goal since the day he set foot on the doorstep of the paladins. Now that that goal has been rendered moot, the only thing left for him to do is to quiet the demon that resides within him." Kai turned to Sera. "He can't do that on his own. Once we settle the score with the dark knights and peace finally returns, well…I'd imagine that Soma won't have as many things to keep him distracted. Sera, you haven't lost your chance." Kai placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "In fact, this is the best chance you've had since the day you met him. Just make sure you don't waste it."

As Kai finished these words, Sera simply stared at him. Then, without warning, she pulled him into a tight hug. Taken aback by the sudden gesture, Kai blushed, unsure of how to react. "Thank you." Was all Sera said before releasing him and lightly ran towards Soma who was still taking a break.

As Kai watched her leave, he smiled as he went back to the barracks. "I'm better at pep talks than I thought."

Sera skidded to a halt next to Soma who was a bit surprised at her sudden entrance. "Captain! Sir!" Sera yelled out in between breaths.

"Y-yes…Sera, what can I do for you?" Soma asked, standing up straighter.

"I-I wanted to…speak with you in private. It's a personal matter and doesn't really have anything to do with work…If that's alright..." Sera straightened her posture as she caught her breath. She saw Soma place her hand on his chin and think. _"he's going to say no, I can feel it."_ Sera thought to herself.

Soma considered his Fomor abilities and wondered what would happen if they were to act up again. He was about to decline when he saw the look on Sera's face. It was a defeated look, as though she had given up on something that was very important to her. He shouldn't take the risk losing control and yet…"Very well. I accept." Soma replied.

"Huh?"

"I don't have anything that requires my immediate attention. Besides, it's been a while since I actually relaxed. What did you have in mind?"

Sera stared into Soma's eyes. Something was different about them. Indeed, his entire demeanor changed. He still carried a sense of formality but he also felt less…tense, as though he was at peace with something. Sera smiled as she realized this. "_perhaps…this really is my chance."_ Sera cleared her throat. "Since you…uh…missed lunch, why don't we go to dinner? My treat." Sera said. Soma nodded and the two made their way into town.

**With Toran, Lydia, and Rudi**

As they waited for Sol and Diana to return, Toran and the others had decided to stall a bit longer before going back to their cells. At the behest of Toran, they visited the old magic academy, saying hi to Stewart on the as they arrived. They stood in front of a small grave behind the main building, Toran saying a silent prayer while Lydia and Rudi watched from afar. Before long, Toran finished and rejoined his two companions. "We've come a pretty long way, haven't we?" Toran said as he gazed into the orange sky.

"Yeah… It almost doesn't seem real." Lydia replied.

"I honestly didn't think you'd stick with us as long as you did. I mean, you two only joined because you wanted to get back at Diran and Tanya, right?" Toran said.

"Considering what's at stake, we couldn't really back out." Lydia shrugged. "Besides, we were able to reach new heights with our abilities, right Rudi?"

Rudianos looked at his hand and clenched it into a fist. He imagined the black fur that coated his body when he called upon the beast inside him. In a way, he agreed with what Lydia said. His strength had grown much larger than it ever would have without the beast but at the same time, he felt as though he had lost something in the process by using such power. He decided that this emptiness was a suitable price for the power he needed to face the coming disaster. Rudianos turned to Lydia and Toran. "I have no regrets."

"Now that I think about it…what was your reason for joining? I don't think we ever brought it up?" Lydia asked.

Toran remembered all too well why he joined. He remembered Cleo and the short but meaningful time he spent with her. "They took someone from me, the dark knights I mean."

"Did you love her?" Lydia asked, taking a quick glance at the gravestone.

"I don't know. It could've been that way…eventually." Toran stood up and stretched. "I don't want…anyone to experience what I did when she was gone. I don't want anymore sad stories, know what I mean?"

Lydia grinned and gave Toran a playful shove. "Look at you, trying to be poetic. We'll be with you guys every step of the way." She slung her arm around Toran and the three of them proceeded back to HQ.

**Dunbarton Library**

Gillian rapidly flipped through a sizable tome regarding ancient artifacts and their role in history. Specifically, he was searching for information on Glas Ghaibhleann in an attempt to gain some sort of weakness the monster may possess. The large stack of books next to him indicated that he had not reached his goal just yet. As he closed the latest book, a familiar face strolled up next to him.

"Working late?" Captain Mason looked at the growing stack of books and gave a low whistle.

"It's hard for me to relax at this point. I've been here since lunch trying to figure out a plan of attack…or at least some sort of contingency plan in case things go awry." Gillian rubbed his eyes.

"No luck?"

"Gee, what tipped you off?" Gillian sighed and shoved another stack of books aside to make room for his elbows.

"I've been a spectator though most of this." Marina said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I've done little beside hold down the fort while Soma, River, and even you were out there fighting."

"That's not true, captain!" Elleina materialized out of Marina's sword with a concerned look on her face. "The paladins wouldn't be able to function without you keeping things in line when the battles start. You're an excellent commander." Ellaina smiled warmly.

"Thank you for the compliments but we both know that isn't true." Marina pulled out the wooden sword that was Ellaina's "body" and ran her finger along the edge. "This blade shouldn't be this smooth. I've barely used you. It must be frustrating being on the sideline with me all the time. I'm sorry I've never been able to realize your full potential." Marina sat down next to Gillian.

Ellaina shook her head. "No…There is no place I'd rather be than at your side."

"And now kiss." Gillian blurted out, causing both Elleina and Marina to blush and causing them to slap him across his cheek, although Marina was the only one who made contact. "Hey! I was just kidding."

"You know, I never pegged you as the type that would consort with the enemy. You've known Sol since you were a recruit, yes?" Marina asked.

"Sort of. I only met him in person once, when he came to drop off Sol at Agnes'. After that, I only ever spoke to him through letters. I didn't think things would escalate the way they did." Gillian chuckled. "So…did you get everything squared away?"

"Bills paid, letters to loved ones sent, and half my life savings spent on everything I've ever wanted. I think I've done everything that needs doing on my end." Marina said. "What about you?"

"Like I said, I've just been doing this this whole time." Gillian gestured to his books.

"Really? No last words to someone you care about?"

"I'll tell them when I feel like I won't get another chance." Gillian stared up at the ceiling and smiled. "A lot of us feel like the world is going to end but to me…I feel more like things are just starting." Gillian turned to Marina and grinned with confidence. "And who sends their last words when things are just beginning?" Marina returned his grin and the two started to laugh.

**With Sol and the Others, Paladin HQ**

Sol and Diana walked together into the cellblock that served as their room. Diana looked over and saw the Lydia and the others looking at them, expectantly._ "They must want to know about how things went between us."_ Diana looked at Sol and saw him scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, his cheeks turning a bright red. She gave him a light peck on the cheek to answer the other's stares as she happily walked over to her cell. Sol stood still for several moments before returning to his own cell. He could hear Lydia laughing despite her attempts to hide it. He smiled softly as he touched the cheek Diana kissed. He lied back down on his bed, smiling contently. For the first time in a long while, he actually felt at peace.

**With Shaosu and Nao**

Shaosu and Nao had returned to his house after spending most of the day walking around town. He saw Rischiev sleeping on the couch with Shadow curled up on the floor below him. The two of them returned to their respective rooms with Nao giving Shaosu a soft smile before closing her door. Shaosu removed his armor so that he was only wearing his shirt and pants. He stared intently at the moon, deep in thought about the battle to come.

After she changed into her pajamas, Nao sat cross-legged on her bed, meditating. She tried to reach out to Morrighan, and see if her mistress could provide some sort of aid or information that she gained while in captivity. All she received was silence. Nao ended her meditation and relaxed onto the bed. Even when she pulled her sheets over herself, she still felt a cold, agonizing fear over what was to com and who would be lost.

**Soma's Squad Barracks**

Sera walked into the main room and sat down at one of the tables with a happy sigh. Kai walked out of his room and sat across from her. "So, how did it go?"

"Very well…all things considered." Sera's voice carried a bit more pep with it than usual.

"Don't tell me you guys made it official." Kai said in disbelief.

"No, of course not! We didn't get nearly that far…at least not yet." Sera blushed slightly. "We just talked, mostly. I don't remember all of it."

"This didn't turn out nearly as interesting as I thought it would." Kai said.

"Still…I feel like I actually have a chance this time, though. The captain just seems more…approachable." Sera said.

Meanwhile, Soma sat alone in the captain's quarters, contemplating recent events. Despite his initial anger towards Sol as well as the brief period of losing control, he felt oddly at peace with himself, at least for the moment. While he initially felt rage that all he had done was for nothing, he also felt that a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. He began to notice things he didn't before. In particular, how empty his office was, save for the bare necessities. In fact, a lot of aspects of his life were comprised of nothing but "the bare necessities." Once everything has been settled, he decided to take Sera's advice from dinner and branch out. For the first time in almost 8 years, he felt he could live for something other than vengeance.

**Gates outside Dunbarton**

A large line of over two dozen horses formed outside the city. Armored paladins, each armed to the teeth, sat upon each one. Another horse with Captain River riding on top, quickly trotted up to the front of the group, River looked back to his men and then to the road ahead. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the black pass. _"Forgive me, Sai. I cannot leave this task to anyone but myself."_ Stuffing the black pass back into his pocket, he raised his hand. "Where we ride tonight is a place many of us will not return from. However, we cannot falter now. Should this operation succeed, we will bring about an age of prosperity that will last for generations!" His voice rang out into the night. "These Fomors, these putrid demons wish to unleash an unholy power not seen since the Great War! Are we going to let them destroy all that our civilization has accomplished? Are we going to let them burn our homes, and slaughter our families!?"

"NO!" The crowd of knights roared.

"My fellow paladins! Knights of the Goddess! For the good of all and for the honor of those who fell in Emain Macha, we Ride to For Barri Dungeon!, We will break down the walls of Cichol's fortress! And We will end their campaign of carnage or die trying!" River raised his fist into the air. "Forward!" River led his force towards the town of Bangor and, by extension, Barri Dungeon.

**To be Continued…**

I can't believe it's already been a year since I last updated this story. Sorry for the long wait, although I've started saying that with just about every single chapter so it's probably kind of weird to newcomers. Anway, sorry again for the lack of any real action but I feel that we need a slow chapter like this before we get into the final stuff. There's still one more chapter I want to do before we actually enter the final battle which will focus on the Dark knight side of things. See you then. And thank you to those who have waited patiently for this story to progress.


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